Of Love and Desperation
by Caged Sparkle Black
Summary: “How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not understand what you are fighting against or for?” The line between light and dark fades. The past becomes the future. The future becomes the past. The present is entirely muddled. LM/HG.
1. Chapter 1

**Of Love and Desperation  
**_by Caged Sparkle Black_

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_Note: Parts of this story was previously posted as Against Her Better Judgment and an early version of this story. Both have been deleted._

_Disclaimer_: I am not Jo Rowling. That infers that I do not own rights and/or royalties remotely related to the Harry Potter universe except of course the wonderful paperback and hardback editions of her lovely series and DVD's of each movie that I purchased at Walmart at discount prices. This disclaimer for this introductory chapter stands as the disclaimer for the entire story.

_Summary_: "How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not fully understand what you are fighting against or for?" In a short matter of time, the line between light and dark fades for Hermione. The past becomes the future. The future becomes the past. The present is entirely muddled.

_Warning_: This story will contain spoilers throughout the Harry Potter Series. This is not entirely Deathly Hallows compatible which infers Readers should perceive this story as Authors Universe. This story will contain violence, death, profanity, sexual undertones, sexual situations, and implied non consensual sex. No offense is to be taken. I apologize in advance if it occurs.

Certain characters will be in character whereas others will be out of character. Some will jump in and out as if they have schizophrenia. There is a reason this is rated M; I have warned you. If you cannot handle any of the situations that have been forewarned please quietly exit the story. However, I wish that you would stay and give this story a chance; I've worked incredibly hard on it. It's different. That's all I ask.

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__**Chapter One**  
Her Journey Begins_

_September 6, 1997_

Unforgivable after unforgivable was cast by the deranged olive-skinned woman. She screeched and crackled out each one as if each curse and hex empowered her more than the last. The woman directed her deathly wand toward an exhausted and rancorous frizzy haired brunette.

"CRUCIO." The mentally unbalanced witch enunciated poisonously with her arm gracefully arched toward the poor intelligent woman. The unfortunate young woman withered in both pain and exhaustion. She had suffered under the insane witch's wand off-and-on for the past five or so days. The only break from the torture was when the witch was summoned by Voldemort or a fellow Death Eater for hours at a time or when she blabbed on and on about the superiority of blood. The imprisoned brunette's vision began to blur. Her throat constricted with each swallow. Her mouth had contracted a severe case of cottonmouth.

"You filthy ignorant mudblood." The woman spat. "Give Potter up or die." Hermione looked up wide eyed as if she had seen the giant knargel that Luna Lovegood ranted on and on about.

Potter. Harry Potter. He was the main reason Hermione Granger had been kidnaped and tortured for the past five days. Not that she was a mudblood but because he was her best friend. Hermione could not ignore the irony.

A group of Death Eaters had taken her from Bulgaria on her eighteenth birthday; the day before they had murdered her father and tortured her mother. Hermione incessantly and insolently refused to relinquish information on the Chosen One or the Order of the Phoenix; Which would be the reason that her captor was so furiously irritated with Hermione. Bellatrix Lestrange was given the task of breaking the mudblood, Hermione Granger. The task of forcing her to betray her best friend, a task in which Ms. Bellatrix was awfully failing at.

Hermione often wondered where she was and when the Order would show up. Her first thought had been the Riddle House. Nevertheless, wouldn't that be the first place they would look. Then she remembered the Wiltshire Malfoy Manor. Yet she had not seen or heard from either bigoted pale blond Death Eater. To her knowledge, Lucius Malfoy was still rotting in Azkaban where she believed he deserved to be. The Order would think to search the Malfoy Manor, she was sure of it. Yet would they find her even if they did come looking?

Neither witch noticed the filthily ancient black stone double doors of the dungeon open. Hermione was in too much pain whereas the lunatic was having too much fun.

"Is the wittle mudblood 'cared?" Bellatrix Lestrange laughed. Hermione winced in pain and at the coldly high pitch of the laugh. Bellatrix's voice and laugh sounded worse than fresh baby mandrakes squalling.

"Of you? Never?" Hermione spoke defiantly as she futilely struggled to break the Unforgivable; As she struggled the pain and torture became ever more intense. After she had stopped struggling the curse weakened and the pain dulled very little. She was almost to the point of becoming numb.

Bellatrix had casted the curse so frequently that Hermione had began to learn how to fight it. Yet Bellatrix did not notice that each time she used the curse it weakened considerably. To be truthful, the only curse Bellatrix used was the Crucio. Which made Hermione start to think that was the only curse the bitch knew other than the Avada.

"CRUCIO." Hermione withered in pain though a fraction of her withering was beginning to be exaggerated.

"The Black's are supposed to be royalty, correct?" Hermione asked through clenched teeth.

Bellatrix paused and stared in shock at the younger woman. She muttered the counter curse and quickly recovered.

"There is no supposed to be; we are royalty." The proud sadistic replied in an aristocratic tone.

The youngest and shorter of the two men sniggered silently as if he had known what the older woman had just walked in to. He had often thought it about both his maternal and paternal families.

"Okay." Hermione muttered in relief as she held her ribs. "I read in a book that the Black family's motto is Torjous Pur. What does that mean? My Latin's just a bit rusty."

"Always Pure, it's French mudblood. A beautiful language you wouldn't know anything about." Bellatrix stated proudly as she suspiciously eyed the Gryffindor mudblood. Her wand suspended in the air as if ready to cast the Cruciatus Curse at a moment notice.

"Correct me if I'm wrong." She said and then muttered to herself. "I know you're going to either way." She then spoke through labored breaths. "The majority of the Black family." Bellatrix narrowed her eyes. Hermione quickly added to stroke the older and darker woman's ego. "The ones that matter." Bellatrix looked at her expectantly. "Are pure bloods. The other members aren't important. They're filthy half bloods and blood traitors." Hermione continued manipulating her captor.

Both men standing at the opened double doors raised an identical eyebrow at the comment of purity of blood or the lack of it.

"Listen to this little hypocrite," The younger man started to whisper but was quickly silenced by the older man with a swish of his long pale wand hand.

The Gryffindor continued to talk unaware of the two men. While Bellatrix began to silently worry that she had made the mudblood go insane for she was speaking of purity of blood like a pure blood, when Bellatrix knew that the mudblood was that a mudblood. The Dark Lord could not get information out of the mudblood bitch if she chose to go insane.

"Anyway, if the Blacks are as pureblooded royalty as you and the books claim, why is it that you, Walfaba, Orion, Narcissa, Regulus and Ferret,"

The shorter man winced for the reminder of the incident in his fourth year and her revealing that she knew that his dear cousin was a Death Eater. It was not public knowledge that Regulus had been a Death Eater. His death had been explained that both he and Orion had resisted the Death Eaters and were killed for their insolence. Nor should the know-it-all know about his great-aunt and uncle's views because both had been long dead before she had entered the wizarding world.

He hoped and prayed to Merlin that his aunt did not notice that the Gryffindor had included the late matriarch and patriarch of the Black family.

"Ferret?" Bellatrix interrupted as her worry about what her master would do to her when he found out that she had made the mudblood bitch go insane without one ounce of information from her.

"Draco Malfoy." Hermione stated, Bellatrix stared confused, as her worry intensified.

"That is a different story, highly entertaining but back to the point, why do you lots follow a filthy half-blood?" Hermione continued.

After inferring Voldermort to a filthy half blood Hermione noticed two figures out from the corner of her eye and lost the nerve to say what she had been going to. She could not identify them but she noticed that both wore long black hooded robes that became personified with the Death Eaters. She could vaguely see that the shorter of the two wore a skull like mask. The taller–about the height of Voldemort-man's face was shadowed and she could not tell if he wore a mask or not.

Even though Hermione is a brave and courageous, Gryffindor through and through, she would not call Voldemort a filthy half blood to his face. She is not dumb and she values her life. She does not believe the pureblood mania. Since she is not a pureblood that would make her a hypocrite.

Normally, she would not call anyone a filthy half blood behind their back let alone one to their face. Yet the reminder of what Harry had told her that he had told Bellatrix during the Department of Mysteries battle that Voldemort was a half blood and she reacted as he had expected, furious yet extremely distracted.

The tallest of the two men made a move toward the women. The other one quickly followed.

Hermione did the first thing that popped inside her mind. She began to quack like a duck.

Bellatrix grabbed her long ebony hair with both hands and started to twist and pull in frustration and fear. Abruptly, she paced back and forth.

"Oh no." She screeched. "Merlin I'm screwed." She groaned. "I made the mudblood go insane." She screeched repeatedly.

"Bellatrix." The obviously annoyed taller man drawled.

She continued with her actions. She still had not noticed either man. One would think her dense and less than par observation skills would have gotten her caught as a Death Eater long before she had been. Yet she was worried about what her master would do. Her master was all that now mattered to her.

She was the only one in the Death Eater ranks not to have been tortured on a regular bases. In fact she had only been tortured after the Department of Mysteries fiasco and that she continuously blamed on her dear sister's husband's negligence as a leader. It was if he did not want the Dark Lord to know of the prophecy but that was lunacy. A Malfoy in the Order of the Phoenix was preposterous and almost laughable. A Malfoy in the Order of the Phoenix would be like extinguishing a fire with gasoline; It exploded.

"Bellatrix." He repeated. "BELLATRIX!" He yelled.

Bellatrix promptly stopped her tantrum and slowly turned toward the familiar voice. He ever so slowly and gracefully lifted his hood down. Long white blond hair escaped. The paleness of the hair was a large contrast to the black robe.

"It bloody cannot be." Bellatrix spoke as her dark and lifeless grey eyes narrowed. "It is you. Why are you back?"

"This," He said motioning toward her then to the quacking mudblood. He continued to eloquently speak. "Is the exact reason, why the Dark Lord has decided to replace you."

Hermione paused as she recognized the man's voice. Her chocolate brown eyes glanced up at the speaker and unfortunately realized that her recognition was correct. Lucius Malfoy had escaped Azkaban and stood not even ten feet away from her maskless. Petrified she looked to his right and tried to identify the man next to him.

The man's cold grey eyes stared intensely at her. As soon as their eyes connected, she realized whom it was. It was the boy that had made her life a living hell for six years. He was the man that had destroyed her illusion that Hogwarts would always be a safe haven for those whom needed it.

After a few seconds as the shock wore off, she realized that there was no bloody way that she would fear Draco Malfoy. She pitied and despised him. His father, on the other hand, she did fear. She was terrified of him yet at the same time in awe of him.

She had not truly feared him until her fifth year during the Department of Mysteries. Before that she had been in awe of his accomplishments before and after Voldemort but when his behavior towards Dobby, the house elf, and the opening of the Chamber of Secrets became known to her, she started to despise him.

She had only physically met him three times before the Ministry fiasco; once in Flourish and Blotts her second year then again at Ferret's first Quidditch Match and lastly at the Quidditch World Cup in her fourth year. Yet seeing him in action during the Department of Mysteries horrified the young witch.

"REPLACE!" Bellatrix screamed outraged. "No one can replace me. I was and am the Dark Lord's most faithful servant."

"And you thought I was insane." Hermione stated as she stood wincing in pain.

"CRU–" Bellatrix started to scream but before she finishes casting the Unforgivable her wand flew out of her long dark fingers.

"Expelliarmus." Draco spoke calmly almost to the point of boredom before catching his aunt's wand.

Hermione stood froze. She stared at the accused murderer of Professor Albus Dumbledore yet Hermione knew better, Although, she knew that Draco was not the one to actually cast the killing curse, was he not just as responsible if not more because he had created the opportunity?

Draco stopping his lunatic of an aunt made Hermione start to wonder if the rumors that she, Harry and Ron had heard weeks ago held any truth even if the truth was partial.

The three Gryffindors had instantly dubbed the rumors one hundred percent rubbish. They had treated the rumors as they would have any of Professor Trelawney's predictions. Then again Trelawney did have two valid prophecies and she had kept predicting's Dumbledore's death all last year.

"You little snot nose brat. Give me back my wand or you will not live to regret it. You cannot compete with me little boy." Bellatrix warned as she glared and stalked towards him. Her glare implied as though she would-with out thinking twice-kill him.

"Bella, your nephew, your own nephew?" Draco said in mock shock. Draco smirked as Bellatrix faltered and the color drained from her face.

"How-How?" Bellatrix stuttered yet quickly regained her composure. She grabbed Draco by the collar of his Death Eater robe and glared up at him. He stared down at her almost amused. The thought that the sight of a 5'8 woman having a 6'1 man by the collar of his robes was amusing crossed Hermione's mind yet disappeared when Bellatrix started to speak.

"You were supposed to die. Die." She attempted to shake Draco. "Dumbledore was supposed to kill you. Your task was a punishment. Not a reward and not the chance to bloody prove yourself. It was a death sentence. It was his punishment." She nodded towards Lucius. "I have no bloody clue how you figured out how to breach Hogwarts wards or how you killed the old coot but I know damn well it was not on your own." Bellatrix sneered disgusted. "You are weak. Last summer I had hoped that I could strengthen you and overturn the damage that my sister caused and your father let happen." Bellatrix almost smiled. "You had potential to be great yet you took after Narcissa. Narcissa is and was the weak Black sister. Even weaker than our muggle loving blood traitorous sister. She chose to surrender when she had the chance to kill and escape." She said angered. "She chose the Order over us and over me." She added quietly.

Hermione almost pitied her but then remembered who she was and what she had done. Any emotion that Bellatrix had showed other than anger, disgust, and distrust quickly disappeared.

As if a light bulb had gone off inside the twisted brain of Bellatrix Lestrange, she asked leerily."Why is it that the only witnesses to Dumbledore's death are dead but you? I find it awfully convenient that everyone that was up in the Astronomy Tower was either killed at Hogwarts, or arrested and later died at Azkaban but you and Snape." She spoke Snape's name as if he was the foulest creature on earth. "Snape swears that he entered the tower just as you casted the killing curse, and watched as Dumbledore fell off the tower. He then helped you escape." She said in a disbelieving and condescending tone.

Hermione looked from Slytherin to Slytherin in awe. Lucius quirked a pale eyebrow and a tip of a smirk in interest at her astonishment.

"_The Death Eaters think that Ferret killed Dumbledore? And Snape was the one to tell them so. What the hell did I miss?"_

Draco saw Hermione's astonishment and silently prayed to Merlin that she would not choose to enlighten his aunt or his father for that matter on the specific bit of Order Information that Snape was the one to kill the late great Headmaster and not him.

He was all too aware that Potter was in the tower that night. Most likely using that annoyingly clever invisibility cloak. Draco was not stupid. He knew that there had been another person on the tower because of the two broom sticks. He realized that it was Potter after Snape and he had fled from Hogwarts while Potter was on their tale.

He quickly locked eyes with Hermione. What he saw scared the hell out of him. He saw confusion on the know-it-all. However, what scared him the most was she was not going to indulge his secret. He would be in indebted to the mudblood. He did not want to be but it was necessary for him to survive the war in order to help the greater good for his side.

Just as quickly as he locked eyes with her, he looked away. Bellatrix did not notice but the other two occupants of the room did. His father snapped his steel grey eyes toward his heir and narrowed. Draco rolled his eyes before gazing down at his fuming aunt.

"Neither do I believe or trust Snape nor you for that matter." Bellatrix harshly whispered before attempting to use Legillimency. Draco looked at her with contempt yet slightly smirked as she landed on her arse. She swore a few cross words as she stood and brushed off the ancient dirt off of her black robe.

"Regretting taking me under your wing last summer? Auntie Bella? " Draco drawled in an annoying baby voice reminiscent of her. Bellatrix tightened her grip with one hand. With the other she attempted to slap him.

Lucius chose that it was time for him to intervene. He caught her wrist in the blink of an eye centimeters away from Draco's jaw. Hermione was amazed at how close the lunatic was away from hitting the ferret. She briefly wondered if Mr. Malfoy had played Quidditch in his youth or if the years of being a Death Eater had given him extremely fast and accurate reflexes. After Hermione quickly considered, she figured that it must have been a combination of both.

"Lestrange." Lucius whispered venomously. Bellatrix blanched. She had not heard that tone from him since before Draco was born. Both Draco and Hermione looked at the exchange strangely. Hermione was amazed that he had so much control over the bitch. Draco was amazed that Bellatrix looked terrified. She never looked terrified because she never was, even in the presence of the Dark Lord, she kept her cool.

"I am only going to warn you once," He stepped closer to Bellatrix until he easily towered over her for he was three inches taller than his son. Bellatrix looked up in contempt yet still somewhat fearful of his stature.

His steel rock cold eyes narrowed into slits as he continued. "Do not threaten or disrespect my family ever again. I will over look another lapse of sanity this time." He paused to smirk. "After all, your time in Azkaban raddled your already weather-beaten brains." The smirk disappeared as his pale lips formed a harsh line. "The Dark Lord indulges you with your half-brained tantrums. I, however, will not."

Hermione mentally rolled her eyes. _"Like he has room to talk. He was in Azkaban too."_

"Tantrums? What do you mean tantrums?" Bellatrix asked angered as she stared at her entrapped wrist. She futilely tried to pull away from his vice grip but his grip was entirely too strong.

"When a situation does not go your way instead of analyzing or merlin forbid to think." His lips pursed. "You have a temper tantrum." Bellatrix started to interrupt him but he silenced her with a look that Hermione could not quite see. "You've done this all of your life. Though after you received your Mark, your tantrums have become more problematic especially since your return from Azkaban."

"Have you forgotten that you spent time in Azkaban as well?" Bellatrix arched a dark eyebrow in amusement yet Draco could still see the fear in her dark grey eyes.

"No." He gritted through his teeth in annoyance of the reminder. Hermione received cold chills from the evil sneer that formed on his mouth. "I have not forgotten nor forgiven anything or anyone." His lips formed a lopsided grin. "There were not dementors guarding the cells during my imprisonment were there?" He taunted.

A haunted expression crossed the woman's calloused face. He sadistically smiled at her once beautiful face. He continued needling. "We were both imprisoned because of the same thing."

"No, we were not. I was imprisoned for my never fading loyalty to the Dark Lord and attempting to return him. Yet you were caught-" Bellatrix passionately stated yet he interrupted her.

"Like I was saying, we were both imprisoned because of your stupidity or was it your insanity." He questioned hypothetically. "You were never right in the head." He added as an after thought. "The dementors did not help at all." He dramatically tsked.

"How did you escape Azkaban?" Bellatrix asked the question that had been floating around her dark and raddled mind and Hermione's knowledge seeking one. Hermione realized at once that the Death Eaters did not rescue him as they had Bellatrix and the others in her fifth year because of Bellatrix's reaction. That was oddly intriguing.

"Narcissa." Lucius simply spoke as if that should explain everything.

"Excuse me?"

"My beloved _wife_," He sarcastically spoke. Bellatrix was the only one to not pick up on the sarcasm. Hermione knitted her eyebrows in confusion. Draco had the expression of an exasperated "oh not again" look. "Distracted the Aurors that guarded my cell."

"Who distracted her guards?" Bellatrix asked perplexed.

"Did I say that she had guards?" He snarled.

"Why wouldn't she have guards?" She stupidly asked.

He forced himself to answer.

"She is no longer loyal to the Dark Lord. It is in question to whether she ever was. She has joined the Order." By the look on his face, it had pained him to admit it.

The information stunned Hermione. Her mouth hung open gaping.

"But she is loyal to you?" Bellatrix asked narrowing her cold charcoal eyes in disbelief. She was not surprised that her sister had joined the blood traitors. She had been expecting this since last summer during their visit to Spinner's End.

"No. Narcissa is loyal to Draco and the Blacks." It had pained him to admit that. He had always hated the feeling of betrayal. It left a bitter and wanting taste in his mouth.

"_**I**_ am a Black, _**I**_ am her sister" Bellatrix stated almost enraged.

"Then act like it." Draco intervened.

"What does that mean?"

"The mudblood had a point." Draco shrugged nonchalantly.

"Draco!" Both his father and aunt exclaimed in shock. Bellatrix's wrist was released from its prison. Long red finger marks could be seen. Hermione narrowed her eyes in suspicion. The mudblood comment no longer bothered her. She knew within her heart and mind that she could out duel most purebloods and that she knew more about their world than they did.

"The Blacks are royalty _in France_ yet just about every Black is or was a Death Eater." Draco commented ignored his father's shock and Bellatrix's anger. He put emphasis on in France. Hermione looked at him oddly before she realized why he placed emphasis on the two words. "Blacks pride themselves with being pureblooded royalty."

"There is no such thing as an ex-Death Eater." Bellatrix stated in conviction.

"Really?" He questioned in interest and then continued "How about our cousin Regulus Arcturus Black." He inwardly smirked at the look of recognition on Hermione's face and Bellatrix sorrowful one.

"Regulus was blinded by love and hero-worship."Bellatrix said quietly. Everyone could see that talking about him was hurting her. "Someone." She spat angrily. "Planted the idea that he could betray the Dark Lord and would not be killed. More than likely it was his blood traitorous brother."

"Bellatrix, he is long since dead. He betrayed the Dark Lord, he deserved what he got." Lucius said tired of talking about _dear_ Regulus. Even after seventeen years of death, the brat still annoyed him.

"Did _you_ have to kill him? Why not Snape? Macnair? Why you?" Bellatrix asked exasperated.

"I was his closest of kin." He stated as he examined the snake handle of his cane that hid his wand.

"I was. Narcissa was."

"We both know that Narcissa has never killed a muggle in her life let alone a pureblooded relative. _You_ would not have killed him. You loved him. Narcissa loved him. She was not informed of his death until after Draco's birth months after his murder."

"I would have killed him to protect him" She passionately stated.

"Then you would have simply killed him. The Dark Lord wanted him to be punished _then_ killed." Lucius said bored as he caressed his cane.

"Why you? Why not someone else? Why--" She repeated her question in desperation. Lucius put up a hand to silence her.

"The Dark Lord wanted to make a point. Narcissa was pregnant and did not leave Malfoy Manor until weeks after Draco's birth. The Dark Lord knows of her reluctance to kill. He also knew that you loved him. He did not know why or how, but he knew. His lack of ability to love will be and was his down fall. He could not risk one of--not the most, you need to stop deluding yourself—faithful Death Eaters suddenly have a change of loyalty and betray—"

"I will NEVER betray the Dark Lord." Bellatrix passionately declared. Her distraction of grief for Regulus and the audacity of him to imply that she would betray her dark lord made her miss his slip in cover.

"Great, we can agree to disagree. I will never betray Harry Potter or the Order of the Phoenix. And you bloody idiots will never betray Tom Riddle." Hermione interrupted smartly.

"Silencio." Lucius silenced her. He silently admitted that he should have done so as soon as he arrived but honestly she was not the problem. The problem was her captor.

He thanked Merlin that the Dark Lord had agreed to his idea that he and Draco take over the mudblood's interrogation and torture. If not she would be dead in less than a week. It was a miracle that she had survived this long under Bellatrix's care with that mouth and attitude.

Hermione glared cutlasses at the elder Malfoy. Lucius scowled at her. Draco couldn't help but grin and think, _"I want to be a fly on the wall when she lays into him."_

"Mudblood, for future reference, a poorly performed _Imperius_ Curse results in the victim to quack like a duck not the Cruciatus. If you want to even attempt to pull something over on me, make it seem believable. A mediocre wizard would be able to see through you. Do not waste my time." He told her before muttering the counter curse. Draco braced himself but she did not go off.

"The crazy bitch believed it." She quietly muttered. Lucius smiled in spite of himself. She continued louder. "Was it not five teenagers that led to your arrest?" She baited. His gaze darkened to the color of burnt charcoal when reminded of his arrest and imprisonment.

"You were not one of them. If I remember correctly wasn't it Dolohov that incapacitated you?" He baited but she did not take the bait offered.

"Yes. However, I am the one that figured out what was in the _Chamber of Secrets_ and how it got around the school which led to Harry and Ron entering it, which led to Harry destroying the _diary_ and you being sacked as School Governor. I am the one that led Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest, which led myself and the five teenagers that led to your arrest to travel to the Ministry of Magic. Which led to the Department of Mysteries battle that led to the infamous shattering of the Prophecy. Which led to your arrest and Ferret's task or punishment, whichever you prefer?" She stated in two breaths. He simply stared at her. She shivered under his gaze. He smirked at her reaction.

Hermione gingerly sat down on the filthy stone floor of the ancient dungeon. "I am not betraying Harry or the Order. So run along, bow down to Voldemort, lick his wand, kiss his cloak or whatever you three choose do."

Lucius pulled his wand from the snake cane, pointed it toward the insolent mudblood and muttered. "CRUCIO."

Hermione could not even begin to _think _about fighting or even _wanting _to fight his Cruciatus Curse. The pain was almost unendurable. She wanted to die for the pain was so intense.

Lucius's last thought before his and presumably his son's and sister-in-law's Dark Mark started to burn was, _"What in the bloody hell does the Dark Lord want with this dissatisfying know-it-all Moinette lookalike."_

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**A/N**: Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Of Love and Desperation**_

_by Caged Sparkle Black_

_Summary: "How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not fully understand what you are fighting against and for?" In a short matter of time, the line between light and dark fades for Hermione. The past becomes the future. The future becomes the past. The present is entirely muddled._

_**Chapter Two**_

_Surreptitious Understandment_

_September 29, 1997_

Hermione became bitter and angrier with each day that passed. She had been imprisoned for close to a month and no signs of being released. She experienced spasms and convulsions of pain daily presumably from after shocks of both Bellatrix and Lucius Cruciatus Curses. She had not seen Bellatrix since the day the Malfoys had taken over her captivity. She praised Merlin for that strange blessing in disguise.

Severus Snape had somehow, for some reason, been included with the Malfoys. It was as if getting rid of one Slytherin meant that you would receive three. Severus made his appearance the morning after the Malfoys had. Snape had brought her water and something to eat. Since then he had visited daily and at times twice nevertheless always bringing something with him either water, candy, fruit, or roll; something that could easily be hidden in his cloak. He tried appealing to her intellectual side when polite conversation got him no where. Strangely, he had not once mentioned Harry Potter. It was as if he was trying to forget that the boy continued to live.

Lucius Malfoy had shown up at least once every other day always in the company of his son Draco or cohort Severus. It was as if he feared being alone with her. Draco showed up even less than his unpredictable father. Draco seemed bored and impassive in the presence of his father yet inquisitive and almost maudlin while with Snape. So it was a surprise to her when she awoke with a lone Draco Malfoy sitting on the floor two or so feet from her one morning.

"Granger." Draco greeted.

"Ferret." She retorted as she narrowed her eyes in suspension. She started looking around the dark room.

"It is just you and I, Hermione." Draco stated. "My father has returned home for a few days whereas Snape is most likely attempting to be murdered by your stag friend." Hermione looked at him as if he had seven heads. "Snape has begun to play spy once or is it twice more?" Draco shrugged. "Anyway, everyone else is off at Headquarters."

"You said that your father went home, correct?" Hermione asked slowly.

"Yes, I did." Draco affirmed.

"Then I am not at Malfoy Manor." Hermione realized rather sullenly. The first place the Order would think to look would be there and she was not there.

"Lord no." He looked at her in abhorring shock. "The dungeons of Malfoy Manor are far more barbaric and ancient than this. Malfoy Manor dates back before Hogwarts or even its Founders." He looked at her considering if he should tell her. "The Malfoy Family dates back far before Salazar Slytherin and Merlin."

"How is that possible?" Hermione curiously inquired. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion as she bit her lip. Draco momentarily watched her before answering her.

"Because Salazar Slytherin is a descendant of the Malfoy clan. His mother was a Clarthina La Foi Mal, the daughter of Damnum La Foi Ma."

"What?" She spoke as her voice hitched. Her jaw went slack. Draco smirked.

"Didn't know that Granger, now did you?" He shook his head in mock disbelief. "You won't find that in any of your text books." He shrugged. "There is only one book I know that still exists that has that bit of information documented and that is heavily guarded."

"La Foi Mal?"

"It's the true version of my family name."

"What does it mean?" She inquired. "I've never heard it."

"It's Old French." His lips formed into a half smirk. "In a roundabout way it means in bad faith." Hermione snorted.

"If I am not at Malfoy Manor then where am I?" Hermione asked.

"Moinette Hall." Draco stated.

"Never heard of it." Hermione quickly replied.

"You shouldn't. Historically it is occupied by the mistress of the Malfoy Lord."

"Historically?" She repeated.

"My father inherited it when he was eighteen; he renamed it Moinette Hall. It hasn't been occupied since his first wife's death."

"What was it called before?" Hermione asked.

"An opium dene."

"Why did your father rename it Moinette Hall?"

"He chose to do so. I rarely ask him questions. When I actually do, answers are rarely given." He curtly replied.

"Because you're afraid of him." She presumed.

"No, because I am afraid of what the answer may be." He cleverly stated.

"Why hasn't this manor been occupied since?"

"My father has never taken a mistress." Draco paused and reconsidered the statement. "Unless you count my mother." He paused once more. "She is prohibited from Moinette Hall. The wards will not let her enter unless the Lord Malfoy or his mistress abides it."

"Your mother? Mistress? They're married. You said your father hadn't taken a mistress."

"On paper they are married but not in his heart. My father is a severely bitter man. My mother loves him but he doesn't love her. He never has. He is still in love with his first wife."

Neither spoke until minutes later when Hermione broke the calm silence.

"Why aren't you calling me a mudblood?" She whispered.

"Mud can choose to purge whereas everything pure must be bemired." Malfoy astutely stated. "My father once told me that." Draco stood as if he had realized that he had said too much.

He walked toward Hermione until he was right above her. He squatted down to eye level. He took a long graceful finger and slid it across the side of her cheek. He whispered as he reached into his cloak. She stiffened. "Granger," He sighed exasperated. "At the end of each and everyday, I've always known that you and scarhead were right." He opened her dirty hand, unwrapped a sandwich, placed it and a handful of opened sherbet lemons in her hand. "You saved me. You have my word, I will save you." He left without another word. She quietly thanked him as she began to eat.

**A/N**: Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Of Love and Desperation  
**_by Caged Sparkle Black_

_Summary_: "How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not fully understand what you are fighting against or for?" In a short matter of time, the line between light and dark fades for Hermione. The past becomes the future. The future becomes the past. The present is entirely muddled_**.**_

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_**Chapter Three  
**__In Remembrance of Moinette and Lucilla_

_October 2, 1997_

Hermione Granger was bored, thirsty, hungry, and curious; not a good combination for the Order's Miss Know-It-All. She had neither had a visitor nor anything to eat and drink since Draco's visit which had felt like an eternity but was truly three days. Her brown eyes squinted in the dark attempting to see her surroundings.

She had always hated the dark. The dark was unfamiliar and formidable. She had always hated not knowing something yet she did not have the desire to learn the dark arts. However, something Lucius Malfoy had asked her at the Department of Mysteries kept reappearing in her mind, "How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not fully understand what you are fighting against and for?"

She was brought out of her conflicting thoughts as one of the ancient stone doors opened. Her brown eyes squinted to determine the identity of her visitor no make that visitors. Light from a far away candle down the ancient corridor gave her a hint of light. Her eyes narrowed into slits. One shadowed figure stood just inside the room. She watched as the other shadowed figure walk to an ancient oil lamp she knew was there but had no way to light it.

She heard the quiet swish of a wand and then was blinded by the unaccustomed yet welcomed light. The figure she determined was a man waved his wand and the stone door shut with a dull thud as if one had performed a silencing charm around the room.

Chains raddled as she brought her hand to her eyes attempting to shield her eyes from the blinding light. As her eyes once again became accustomed to light, she brought her hand away from her eyes and then to her mouth. Her visitor was someone she had not expected to see.

"Remus!" Hermione cried. Silent tears of hope she had been holding in since that first day escaped. Hope. She had unknowingly lost her hope yet seeing Remus had given it back. "Remus." She repeated.

"Severus, was right as always. She is so overtly intelligent, she is anserine." Lucius drawled. Hermione's body stiffened yet her eyes stayed cautiously alert. Remus looked from Lucius to Hermione in concern. He would have a talk with Lucius before he returned to Headquarters.

"Hermione, I do not have much time." He gingerly grabbed onto her shoulders. "The Dark Lord granted me permission to see you. He and Harry had a small confrontation two days ago. While at the Ministry, Harry threatened to kill himself if he did not receive proof that you were still alive. Apparently, The Dark Lord only wants Harry alive so he and only himself can kill Harry. Harry knew this which is why he threatened it. Harry said that you had said something to him in Bulgaria which made him realize the true secret to destroying him."

"He wouldn't! Remus?" Hermione stated outraged and scared.

"Hermione, do you know what he speaks of?" Remus asked curiously.

"Yes." She quietly spoke just above a whisper.

"What is it?" Remus asked frantically. He slightly shook her.

"Please, tell Harry that R.A.B was Sirius's brother." She whispered. Lucius made a strange strangling noise deep in his throat then quickly recovered.

"What does that have anything to do with Harry?" Remus asked as he shook her harder. She started crying tears of terror. Remus was scaring her.

"Lupin, leave her be." Lucius drawled. "It is my job to scare her not yours."

"Lucius would you shut the hell up!" Remus exclaimed as he turned his head towards the older man. "This is significant." Remus turned back toward a terrified Hermione.

Hermione closed her eyes in realization. Harry was a horcrux and he would have to kill himself in order to destroy Voldemort. She started crying tears of despair and anguish. Remus let her go and abruptly left without his answer. Lucius stood waved his hand and the stone door closed behind Remus. He waved his hand once more to place a ward only the Lord or Lady of the manor could break through. Another wave of a hand to charm the room from prying ears.

"Miss Granger, please calm down." Lucius calmly told her. "I understand your anguish." He added in the attempt to console her. How did you console someone that you know everything about yet the person whom was being consoled did not know that fact?

"No, Mr. Malfoy, you do not." She stated vehemently through her tears. "Do not presume that you understand what I am going through." She sneered. "I have lost _everything _dear to me. My father is dead because of your bitch of a sister-in-law. My mother is as good as dead. My best friend is sacrificing his life for both the muggle and wizarding worlds because of your half-blooded pureblooded maniac bigot."

She choked on her tears. "I silently cry each night terrified that someone is going to come in here to kill or rape me. I pray for my _death_, Mr. Malfoy. I have given up whatever hope I had. I am nothing more but a helpless pawn in this ridiculous war of purity. No family is completely pure; not even your own. Every family, magical or no, has dirty secrets and skeletons that they are not proud of. You, sir, are always in control even when you are not. Does Voldemort realize that you are the true master of his minions?" Lucius inwardly blanched at her confession.

She slightly cocked her head in consideration. "The only completely true one he has is a crazy bitch that if she thought of it would kill him thinking it was an act of twisted devotion? You, sir, have never in your entire bigoted existence have even known a teeny bit of what it feels to be helpless as if you have nothing in the world to live for." She snarled.

Hermione yelped in surprise as Lucius grabbed her wrists in one hand and pushed her against the nearest wall. Chains clunked loudly against the filthy stone rather uneven wall. The rusted iron dug into her skin painfully creating indentions onto her wrists. He brought her wrists hard against the stone wall over her head and beneath his strong pale hand. The impact onto the stone created several small cuts on the back of her hands particularly her knuckles.

"You think that you are the only that has ever felt as if your world has come crashing down." Lucius growled. He tightened the grip on her wrists. "You are not the first person to ever lose their family and regretfully you will not be the last." His grip tightened. Hermione's brown eyes widened in fear. "I _am _sorry that you lost your father. I know how much you loved him. I understand more than you exactly what you are feeling. I lost my wife, my daughter, and my father without warning within a matter of a few days. It has been years and I still have not healed. I will never completely heal. Neither will you. The difference between you and I is that you are losing your innocence where I never had an innocence to loose."

"I'm sorry." Hermione whispered. He slowly let go of her wrists and moved closer towards her. He placed both hands on each side of her shoulders pinning her against the wall. She gulped. "What happened to your family?" She whispered as she brought her filthy hand to his pale clenching jaw. Her face was upturned in the attempt to meet his eyes. Stonily he looked down into her warm yet broken brown eyes then looked away. He swallowed looking to the right of her. "Mr. Malfoy?" Hermione asked concerned for both of their well being and her sanity. "Obviously, I have no one to tell." She attempted to laugh yet it came out as a strangled sob. "Even if I did who would belive a mudblood's word against Lucius Malfoy?" Her tone sombered from the previous sarcastic tone. "Mr. Malfoy, please, what happened to your family? Did Voldemort kill them?" Her brown eyes widened and an eyebrow quirked in slight disbelief. He did not flinch upon the name of his master like all the others. At times, even Snape flinched.

"I am not totally convinced that he had nothing to do with but what can I do?" He whisphered. Grey eyes met warm brown. She blinked. She had never seen such clearer eyes. Ironic, really if she chose to think about it. One of the darkest wizards of the era yet he had the clearest window to the soul. Lucius half groaned and sighed as if he did not want to reveal what he was about to. "The love of my life was named Moinette." Hermione blinked. She had not realized that Moinette was a popular name. Hermione's french grandmother had bestowed the name as a nickname to her as a small child. Coincidence, perhaps? "Our daughter was named Lucilla. She was named after me and her mother's best friend. Moinette was so beautiful." He quickly smiled. Hermione watched him apprehensively. "I loved her with my entire being. I was almost disowned because of her. I would have been if she hadn't won over my father. I was betrothed to Narcissa when Moinette arrived." Lucius confided. He swore and looked away from her questioning gaze. "She turned out to be a muggleborn." He managed to choke out. He started to chuckle rather manically and hystericaally.

Hermione gasped in surprise. Lucius stopped the manical laugh and glared at her. She glared back not attempting to mask her surprise.

"My father adored her. I think he himself was a little bit in love with her. My mother despised her." He smirked as if he was remembering a memory. " My mother is the true bigot of the family. My father once believed in purging the wizarding world of non purebloods. He was a Walpurgis Knight." The confusion must have shown on Hermione's face because he elaborated. "The Walpurgis Knights were what we now know as Death Eaters." Lucius paused. "When he publically revealed his change of heart The Dark Lord killed him."

"What happened to Moinette and Lucilla?" She asked curiously concerned. He began to cry. Hermione was speechless. He collapsed against her barely holding himself up against the stone wall. She placed her chin on his heaving shoulder and placed her arms around his waist.

"I do not know for certain what happened." Lucius choked.

"What do you know?" Hermione numbly asked. What was happening was too surreal to take in. Lucius Malfoy had fallen in love with a muggleborn and had a halfblooded daughter. Oh, and don't forget that he was apparentally having a nervous breakdown. Hermione was entirely shocked to her core.

"Someone had found out that she was a spy for the Order." Lucius whispered as he slowly stood. He wiped the tears off his face and his eyes turned to ice. "They had no proof but they had always suspected it. She was too caring they had said to be a Death Eater but she proved them wrong."

"How did she prove them wrong?"

"As I was saying," He swallowed completely ignoring the question. "Someone ratted her out."

"What happened to her?"

"She was raped." He managed to reveal. She closed her eyes.

"Who was it?" She whispered.

"Billius Weasley." Lucius spat his name. Hermione's eyes flew open and searched his tormented grey ones. "I do not hate the Weasley family because they are poor or that they are a bunch of muggle loving fools. I hate them because they saw that what their Billius did to my wife was justice for her choosing the Dark Arts over their beliefs. He gloated about it when he got home that night."

"That doesn't make sense because if Billius was a–" Hermione was interrupted before she could continue.

"Billius was a sorry excuse of a man let alone a wizard. He let his family believe he was a spy yet he was more into the dark arts than I or even Severus ever was and you know how much Severus is in it." Lucius continued. "Billius was killed in the next raid."

"Who killed him?" Hermione asked apphrensively.

"Severus." Lucius replied simply.

"What? Why?" Hermione shocked that Snape and not Lucius had done the deed.

"Moinette took him under her wing when she was at Hogwarts. She was a transfer student in my seventh year. Severus was in his second or third year. I can never remember. Severus has always been more mature than his age group. She was sorted into Slytherin. If you haven't already realized it, Slytherins eat each other alive. She saw that everyone was picking on him and stepped in. That entire year the only ones that picked on him were the Marauders. Strangely, she never stopped them from picking on him." He stared at her making her feel as she had when Dumbledore had stared at her in the same way as if he was attempting to figure out who you were yet already knowing what you were.

"Was she a spy?" Hermione asked.

"Yes." He whispered.

"And you?" Hermione had asked the question before thinking it through. She braced herself for the retaliation.

"I have never made it a secret that I am a Slytherin through and through." Lucius attempted to smirk in Slytherin style but the memory of his first wife and late daughter had raddled him.

"You're playing both sides." She stated shocked. Her mouth hung open for several seconds. She groaned in annoyance. "Your family is such an enigma. I believed Draco to be the one that was playing both sides not you." Hermione stopped as if one did when they realized that they had entirely too much that was not supposed to be revealed under no circumstances whatsoever.

"What did you believe I was doing?" He asked as a pale eyebrow quirked upward in interest.

"Biding your time." She stated honestly. "Waiting to step into Voldemort's place once Harry killed him."

"I do not want to be the Dark Lord." Lucius muttered as if the thought had never occured to him and repulsed him now by considering it.

"Then what _do _you want?" Hermione asked exhasperated.

"I am the Lord Malfoy. That is all that I am." Lucius stated. Hermione looked at him as if seeing him for the first time when she had realized what he had said between the lines.

"I never expected you to be a family man." Hermione slowly stated.

"That is what separates myself from the Dark Lord." He paused. "I love my family. I understand that without a family you are nothing. Without a family there is no sense of being a pureblood or a pureblooded supremacist. Family is everything in the wizarding world, Miss Granger." He winced miniscually after he had finished speaking. Hermione wondered why. If she hadn't been paying attention to everything he had said she would have missed the small yet significant movement.

"Mr. Malfoy, family is everything in any world." Hermione corrected. "What happened to your daughter?" He visably winced. She almost regretted asking but she had to know. She did not know why she felt she had to know but she did. It was if her inner self had to know what had happen to her.

"She was murdered on the front lawn of the Malfoy Manor." Lucius whispered with eyes closed.

"Murdered? How old was she?" Hermione asked. Tears formed in her eyes. She felt as if someone had kicked her in the stomach. She couldn't breath. She felt as if she were drowning.

"Two-years-old. My first wife and I were married for three years. We married just out of Hogwarts. I loved her and I thought but she ended up leaving me and our daughter behind. She left no note behind. She just disappeared. The next morning I found our daughter dead. Many believed that Moinette had killed the girl then disappeared. I knew better then and know now for certain that Moinette did not kill our little girl. She would have killed herself before the thought ever came to her mind to hurt our child."

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**A/N**: Please review. Thank you to the following for doing so the previous chapters; _Vanya Khaleesi, Ohyeah100, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Irritable-Grizzly69, Rebelbball,_ and_ TonyAnnaAndre._ Also, thank you for those who read and placed alerts. Thank you to the silent readers as well; can't forget y'all now can I?


	4. Chapter 4

_**Of Love and Desperation**  
____by Caged Sparkle Black_

_Summary_: "How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not fully understand what you are fighting against or for?" In a short matter of time, the line between light and dark fades for Hermione. The past becomes the future. The future becomes the past. The present is entirely muddled.

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**_

**_Chapter Four  
_**_Accusations and Silent Realizations_

_Malfoy Manor  
__December 15, 1997_

A human form, Fenrir Greyback, growled at the wizarding chess board. He was horrendously losing to Macnair whom was not the brightest chess player. Antoine Dolohov, Rodolphous and Rabastan Lestrange were lounging around the drawing room not too far from the poor played chess game awaiting instructions as to where they would wreck havoc tonight. Lucius and Severus were sitting several yards away from both groups in front of a enormous grandeur window. Severus was reading whereas Lucius twirled the Brandy snifter making the Brandy form small cyclones within the snifter before stilling and repeating the actions

"This is a waste of time." Fenrir growled. "I shall cease to play this any longer."

"Didn't know that you were such a quitter, Fenrir." Macnair needled.

"Macnair, if you know what is good for your health, you will drop the subject." Fenrir threatened.

"I suppose that is a threat? Very well, axing a werewolf shouldn't be any different than axing a hippogriff."

"If I remember correctly, Macnair, you did not ax the hippogriff you were appointed. The beast escaped you, did it not?" Lucius spoke quietly yet everyone in the drawing room listened intently.

"It did." Macnair paused. "The mudblood had something to do with it. I just might have a visit with the bitch." Macnair stood to leave. Lucius abruptly stood.

"You will do no such thing." Lucius ordered sternly.

"Who will stop me?" Macnair asked smugly. "Potter isn't here to save her, is he?"

"I will go with you, Macnair." Fenrir purred. "Although, her blood is filthy, such a pretty thing should taste sweet."

"Sit down both of you!" Lucius barked. "No one but me will harm, Miss Granger."

"Miss Granger?" Rodolphous parroted rather amused while the others were disgusted. "Lucius, my friend, have you grown a soft spot for the mudblood?"'

Lucius' jaw clenched once before all of his features became one of indifference.

"Do not be ridiculous, Rodolphous." Severus interposed deferring the ineluctable. "Lucius is, after all, the one that The Dark Lord, entrusted Miss Granger with. It makes perfect sense as to why Lucius should be the one to harm the girl. She is his prisoner."

"The Dark Lord entrusted the mudblood's torture to him because out of us all, Lucius has the best self control. He would be able to torture her to the brink of death without killing her." Dolohov interjected. "I would kill her as soon as her outspoken mouth opened."

Lucius' cold grey eyes hardened whereas he still held onto the mask of indifference.

"Gentlemen, our dear _friend_, Lucius, is too indifferent all of a sudden." Rodolphous smirked in realization. "He _has _grown a soft spot for the mudblood. Perhaps, the young mudblood reminds him of a certain someone." Rodolphous paused in mid-sentence. Lucius' wand was becoming rather intimate with the Lestrange Adam's Apple. Whereas, four wands were pointed toward Lucius'.

"Do not speak of her as if you had known her. You know nothing about Moinette." Lucius snarled. "You hated her before the allegations started. I wouldn't be surprised if you were the one that started them! Moinette was faithful to my beliefs."

"I know that she was a halfblood." Rodolphous seethed. "She spied on us, on you, on our master, for the crack pot old bugger!" Lucius' lip curled in anger and disgust. Severus inwardly groaned and pulled his own wand out. Pointing it toward _all _of them.

"Put the wands down. There is no need to harm anyone in this room." Severus spoke.

"All of you will listen to me." Severus added before slithering in a comment that would be heeded. "Think of what the Dark Lord will think of you all pointing your wands at each other. There must be no rankle in the inner circle!" Unsurprising to Severus, all but Lucius and Rodolphous heeded the advice.

"Dolohov made a great point, Lucius. The Dark Lord entrusted the mudblood's torture to you. Not the mudblood herself. Any one of us can claim the mudblood as our own."

Stunned silence. Lucius was about to utter an unforgivable when Severus sternly spoke yet inwardly quivering. "Stop this insolence. You two are acting worse than first year Hufflepuffs!"

Dolohov smirked at both Rodolphous and Snape's comments. It was true, no one had claimed the mudblood as their own which would effectively stop anyone from preventing the claimer from doing anything whatsoever to the claimed. Dolohov's smirk widened. He would finish what he had started at The Department Of Mysteries. Miss Mudblood would be dead within the week.

Lucius backed away yet did not lower his wand. He looked toward Dolohov and as if sensing Dolohov's thoughts glowered at him before issuing a promise. "If anyone claims Miss Granger, it will be I. I am her master. She resides in my home. Her safety and lack thereof relies strictly upon me."

"What do you speak of?" Rabastan spoke for the first time. "The mudblood does not reside here."

Rodolphous' cold black eyes widened in true surprise and realization at both Lucius' and Rabastan's statements. Clever, sneaky, Lucius had taken the mudblood to Moinette Hall when he, Bella, Wormtail, and Snape had been ordered to capture and imprison her.

Moinette Hall. Moinette Hall. Those two words kept chanting within Rodolphous' mind as it attempted to wrap around what it had realized about Lucius. Lucius was protecting the mudblood. Yet why?

The Dark Lord could not harm the mudblood or anyone while they resided on the estate of Moinette Hall. The wards would not permit him. The one time the Dark Lord had broke through them, he retreated and stated that he would never enter them again and would not make an exception. No one had known the reason why.

Well, no one except for Lucius, Moinette, Professor Dumbledore, and a little boy whom would eventually live to vanquish, The Dark Lord.

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**A/N: **Please review. Regardless, of how short the chapter was, it holds vital pieces of information! Thank you to those whom read and reviewed the previous chapters. Thank you. I should note that any backlash over the Hufflepuff coment should go towards the canon Slytherin's attitude toward them and not the author Caged Sparkle Black! I adore Hufflepuffs. Cedric Diggory (portrayed by Robert Pattinson in the movie adaptations of GoF and OotP) was placed into Hufflepuff. :Smile:


	5. Chapter 5

_**Of Love and Desperation  
**_by Caged Sparkle Black

_Summary: _"How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not fully understand what you are fighting against or for?" In a short matter of time, the line between light and dark fades for Hermione. The past becomes the future. The future becomes the past. The present is entirely muddled.

_**

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**_

_**Chapter Five  
**__The Spies of The Order_

_December 15, 1997  
__Former Order of the Phoenix Headquarters_

The inhabitants of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place's kitchen were on the edge of their seats with wands in hand expecting an attack at any given moment awaiting for the emergency meeting to commence. Several believed coming back was a mistake. Hadn't they all decided that it would be in the best interest of everyone to move the Headquarters and not return unless absolutely necessary?

Harry Potter's jaw clenched and unclenched. He did not believe that coming back was a mistake. He _knew _it was. They were all walking into a trap. It did not occur to Harry that the entire Order had not been invited to this meeting. Only a handful that Minerva McGonnagal had chosen. Unbeknownst, to Harry those of whom she had chosen, she had been instructed to do so.

Harry sat in his usual seat at the long kitchen table. Ron sat at his left. An empty seat at his right separated himself from Ginny. Hermione's seat. He and Ron had more important things to be doing than await to be ambushed by Death Eaters. They had to find Hermione. They had to find the remaining Horcruxes. They had to kill Voldemort.

Harry mentally counted the horcruxes that were destroyed; the diary, the ring, the cup, and the locket (which R.A.B did not destroy. They had with reluctant help from Kreacher). That left Ravenclaw's Diadem, Nagini, Voldemort, and himself Harry. Harry tried not to dwell on that fact. Harry glanced around the room.

Remus and Tonks sat across from them. Remus slumped in his seat with his forearms on the table and his head resting on them. He looked worse than Harry had ever seen him. Tonks sat stiffly with her back straight as her wand. A look of distaste crossed her face as if she did not like her appearance anymore than everyone else did.

Her eyes were black and her hair a long wavy ebony piled messily on top of the crown of her head. She wore long deep black robes with a hood. If one just glanced at her, not paying her any mind, one would think that Bellatrix Lestrange sat there instead of Nymphadora Tonks. Harry, Ron, and Ginny had thrown a hex or two at her direction upon her arrival until she had morphed her hair to bright bubble gum pink then back to ebony. He still had issues looking at her direction. The older members had been warned about her appearance and for what reason. Yet rather idiotic of them they had not communicated any to the younger members.

His gaze fell upon Fred and George Weaseley whom were whispering to each other at the other end of the table. Starry-eyed, Luna Lovegood, was observing her surroundings in awe. She was in _the _Ancestral Home of The Noble House of Black. Her mother's grandmother's father's mother's brother had married a Black once before he was murdered by pixies.

Harry's eyes became somber as they fell upon Neville Longbottom whom sat beside Ginny. Neville stared down intently at the table top and refused to look in the direction of Tonks. Ginny placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

Rather oddly and entirely unexpected, Percy Weaseley, Mr. and Mrs. Weaseley stood at the other end of the kitchen whispering to each other of whom frequently glanced at the kitchen door then back to Harry then began whispering amongst themselves. Neither three would meet Harry's inquisitive eye.

Harry and Ron stood with wands in hand as Professor McGonnagal strode into the kitchen. Ron exhaled a deep breathe in relief and sat back down. However, he kept his wand in hand. Harry, on the other hand, remained standing.

"Mr. Potter, do sit down." Minerva spoke. At hearing her voice, Remus raised his head, stood, and walked towards her. All that were standing besides Harry and Remus sat at the table.

"I'd rather stand, Professor." Harry clipped.

"Very well." She replied. She paused briefly as if to consider her words before she began speaking. "I realize that the setting of this meeting is rather unorthodox after all that has occurred this past year yet this is the best place to have this meeting do to the sensitive subject matter." Minerva noticed that Harry was about to put his two shillings worth. "Mr. Potter and whomever else that should have the desire to interrupt or attack, I ask that you do not." Minerva paused. "I order you to listen to what Remus and I say. I order you not to attack without asking questions first. Remus and I along with input from Professor Dumbledore's past notes, have decided that we must enlighten you all to the other side of the Order."

"The other what?" Harry clipped as he stared stonily at his former head of house.

"The spies, Harry." Remus replied simply.

"I repeat, what?" Harry snipped then added. "We have one spy and that is you, Remus."

"Mr. Potter, you do remember the chat we had at the Burrow earlier in the summer and the one after Miss Granger's capture?" Minerva asked clearly.

"I refuse to believe that Snape and the Ferret of Slytherin are spies." Harry spat. Ron glowered at the mere thought. Many of the younger ones looked a mixture of disbelief, shock, and (the twins) amused at the thought. After all, why wood a true spy for the order murder Albus Dumbledore? A Malfoy playing spy for the Order. Fred and George started laughing uncontrollably.

"May I ask what you two believe to be funny?" Minerva asked.

"A Malfoy playing spy for a group of blood traitors, half-bloods, and mudbloods?" Fred managed to say in between guffaws.

"Please, that is just ridiculous." George added.

"I realize that past experiences with the Malfoy family cloud your judgment. However, you must all clear or divert it. Every person in this room has my and Remus' utmost trust or this meeting would not have been known to you." Minerva stated firmly. "I hope that no one has forgotten that our own Miss Granger is behind enemy lines as a prisoner. If it were not for our spies, top secret spies, that I had no inclination that they were working for the Order until after Albus' death." Minerva paused as if in memory of the late professor.

"He left explicit instructions in his last will and testament and before you speak of the one that Rufus has in his office, Mr. Potter, is not the original one but a farce." Minerva revealed. Harry narrowed his green eyes at her and opened his mouth to ask something when he was promptly interrupted. "Yes, everything that was left to you, Mr. Weaseley, and Miss Granger is in the original yet their had to be a decoy. Albus knew that the ministry would put their noses where it did not belong." Harry shook his head as if understanding. "He, personally, had a will drawn up then destroyed at his own hand days after the Department of Mysteries fiasco. He said that when, not if, he began his grand adventure to the afterlife that I was to immediately review the memory. As you all will see in a moment, I was quite shocked."

"Professor, whom are the top secret spies? You spoke as if there are more than one." Luna asked the question that many at the table were thinking.

"Yes, Miss Lovegood. There are more than one." Minerva answered vaguely.

"Professor, no disrespect is meant," Harry began although his tone suggestive otherwise. "But who are they? We haven't the time to beat around the bush-" Harry was briefly interrupted by Ron.

"We aren't beating a bush, Harry." Ron stated bewildered.

"Muggle saying." Harry answered as if that meant end of discussion. Ron shook his head in understandment. "Any way, we all have more important things to do than sit here and play Guess Who." Harry paused. Several looked confused. "A muggle game." Harry shrugged before continuing. "I know Hermione is being tortured and merlin knows what else because of me. We need to move now. Infiltrate Malfoy Manor. We know that is where Voldemort has set up house. Attack and get Hermione home."

"That, stupid boy, is what The Dark Lord wants you to do." A silky voice spoke as the owner entered the kitchen. "Put your wands away." He stated rather wearily at the members of the DA. He made no move to draw his own.

"SNAPE!" Ron exclaimed in shock. His wand hand shook nervously.

"You bastard!" Harry screamed and lunged. Remus caught him around the shoulders.

"I see that you have effectively ignored my advice about learning to control your emotions." Snape drawled unsurprised.

"I see that you're still a TRAITOR." Harry screamed.

"HARRY!" Several exclaimed.

"Aren't we all?" Snape inquired. "We each betray something we believe in or someone close to us in order to survive this war whether it be intentional or not. Some are too dense to ever realize this."

"Severus, do come in and stand between Remus and Arthur." Molly welcomed. Ron looked at his mother as if she had finally lost her sanity. Harry bit his tongue. A copper taste began to form in his mouth.

"Thank you for joining us, Severus." Minerva greeted before addressing the entire room. "As Albus had eluded to several times over the past couple of years, Professor Snape is not and was not our only spy. As some of you may know, Remus is playing spy with the Werewolves." She paused. Tonks scrunched up Bellatrix's nose in disagreement yet stayed quiet. "Snape is the direct spy to Voldemort. I am the spy to the Hogwarts staff along with Professor Flitwick. The Carrows and Lestranges have been on their toes so far as to not reveal anything to anyone about their master's plans. Alas, we have come up empty. Fred and George are the Diagon Alley spies. Percy, the Ministry. Tonks, the Aurors. Miss Lovegood, Mr. Longbottom, and Miss Weaseley, the Hogwarts student body." Minerva paused and took a deep calming breath as if the information she was about to reveal or the chaos that would ensue after would stress her greatly.

"Now to the spies behind enemy lines. The not so obvious. Draco Malfoy is indeed a spy for the Order. He is spying on all Death Eater recruits and to the children of the Inner Circle."

Harry glowered. Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, and Neville gaped in shock. A Malfoy, a spy! "Please, I beg you, to all stay calm." Minerva began. "The next two spies are true shockers. I, myself, refused to believe it before I was convinced by Albus' memories. The wives of the Death Eaters, while they may or may not have the mark, are just as immersed as their husbands in the Dark Arts. The spy to the wives is Narcissa Malfoy."

Everyone in the room except for Minerva, Severus, and Remus gaped in shock. Several whispered variations of what to themselves. Minerva continued over the whispers. "There were four top spies in the first war that were instrumental; Severus Snape, Regulus Black, Moinette Dagworth, and Lucius Malfoy."

Chaos ensued.

"BLOODY HELL MERLIN's FUCKING BALLS NO!" Ron exploded just as many other used variants of what he had said. Harry had stood yet he did not speak for several moments. Ginny sat there immobile.

"Quite frankly I don't care to pretend to accept that as fact." Harry stated then continued. "Draco. Yes, I can believe it. He's being slytherin and saving himself. The Order is where his safety lies. Mrs. Malfoy, it's hard to swallow, but yes, I can see it. A doting mother protecting her son. Regulus Black, no doubt. Never heard of the Dagworth woman. However, I refuse to believe that Lucius Malfoy is a spy for the Order. Why did he try to resurrect Voldemort by using the Chamber of Secrets in my second year?" Harry posed the question.

"Because, Mr. Potter, I did not realize that the memory of the Dark Lord was trapt in the book. All I knew was that it had once belonged to the Dark Lord and I wanted it gone because of certain raids." Lucius Malfoy eloquently answered him as he entered the kitchen. His wife and son followed him in.

"I hate you!" Ginny yelled before running past him and out of the kitchen in tears. Molly followed her before glaring at the elder Malfoy.

"The feeling is quite mutual, I assure you." Lucius drawled.

"Really, Lucius, she is just a child." Minerva chastised.

"Children grow up or die during these wars. Many will have to choose which path they shall take before it is chosen for them." Lucius retorted.

"Lucius," Arthur began yet was interrupted.

"Arthur, do not try to correct me. You know what I speak of. Or perhaps you do not. You

chose to sit idle on the sidelines during the first war. You have no clue how many defenseless children and babies died at the wands of both sides." Narcissa flinched behind him. "Do not attempt to fool me with falsities. Mr. Potter and his two friends know exactly what I speak of. Mr. Potter was never a child. He lost his childhood at age one. Your son and Miss Granger in their first year."

"Do not speak about my friends and I, as if you know us." Harry ordered.

"Mr. Potter, I do know you and your friends especially Miss Granger. She spoke of you often." Lucius drawled.

"What have you done to Hermione!" Ron barked. "If you've harmed a hair on her head,"

"Please, spare me the empty threats." Lucius drawled. "Miss Granger is being kept as safe as she can get while under The Dark Lord's nose!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ron asked dumbly.

"It means that she is under my care and lack thereof and no longer at Bella's. Or would you prefer the psychotic bitch over myself? Miss Granger was quite grateful when I took over her torture."

"If you truly are a spy, why haven't you returned Hermione?" Harry asked smartly.

"Because you insolent fool, that would cause difficulties for the Order as it would no longer have a inconspicuous spy!" Lucius sneered.

"There's supposedly Snape!" Ron interjected.

"That is true Mr. Weasley yet many believe that he is still spying on them for the Order! The other side believes that Draco murdered the Headmaster! That is why you stupid fool that you were ordered not to publically say anything on the subject. The Order has not made any comment on the death of the Headmaster other than he died during the Battle of Hogwarts! No suspects were mentioned!" Lucius sneered, paused, then continued. "My _loyalty _to the Dark Lord has not been questioned since his return! I returned to him in Little Hangleton when many did not!"

"You act as if that is something!" Harry spoke in disgust.

"It is to the Dark Lord." Lucius replied.

"You all are pathetic for trusting any one of them! I don't trust any of them!" Harry ranted. "How can you when he knows where Hermione is!"

"Mr. Potter, have you ever consider that the Order knows where she is and is not telling you!" Lucius snarled. "The Dark Lord wants you to come and rescue her! The Dark Lord believes that if he takes the brains of your operation out of the equation, you will come and get her for the simple fact that you can't fight him without her!"

"We will fight with or without Hermione!" Harry barked. Many gasped in surprise. After the words came out of his mouth he realized what he had said. He looked quite regretful.

"You may fight but you won't win!" Lucius predicted. "Miss Granger, is shackled in chains in a fortress and figured out something you couldn't."

"And what is that?"

"To trust me!" Lucius sneered.

"Obviously, her mind has been weakened." Harry sarcastically spoke not believing that Hermione was stupid enough to trust him.

"Even if that were the case, her mind would be more alert than many on either side. Pure or not. You know this to be true!" Lucius sighed. "I apologize," He drawled sarcastically. "I'd love and stay and chat but I have business with Professor McGonnagal and Remus that must not wait any longer. Run along." Lucius dismissed him. Harry's green eyes widened at the dismissal.

"Pardon?" Harry spoke in shock.

"Lucius, is quite right, we have urgent business to discuss. I, thank you, all for attending. Do keep in mind not to say a word about any of this to anyone until you are specifically told to by myself or Remus! Do not leave the manor. Please wait in the library for instructions." Minerva dismissed everyone. Everyone left the room except for Snape, the Malfoys, Harry and Ron. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weaseley, did either of you have a question?"

"Why did Tonks have an altered appearance of Bellatrix Lestrange?" Ron asked as he eyed the Malfoys.

"As a decoy." Snape answered. "In case one of the the two Death Eaters watching this place seen the Malfoy's and myself entering or leaving the premises. If they were to see Bellatrix Lestrange leaving the Noble House of Black which now legally belongs to Mr. Potter, they would not question it especially if Bellatrix were to tell them not tn say a word to anyone about it. Which is why the Order used the floo network to arrive."

"Wouldn't that be dangerous for Tonks if the Death Eater don't believe her?"

"Nymphadora is a trained Auror. Dangerous is in her job description." Severus stated. "Would you two run along? NOW!" Severus barked. Harry glared before leaving. Ron jetted after him.

"Narcissa, Draco, please, await Severus and myself with the others in the library." Lucius politely spoke yet both addressed knew that it was a command.

"Yes, father." Draco acquiesced. Narcissa did not move or say a word indicating that she would abide by the command. "Mother, let's go!" Draco willed her to do so. He took her by the elbow and guided her out. Narcissa glared at Lucius. He looked bored at the attention.

"Trouble in paradise?" Snape asked eyebrow arched in amusement.

"Was it ever paradise to begin with?" Lucius shrugged. Minerva arched a curious yet worried eyebrow. "Nevertheless, we are here to speak of Miss Granger." Lucius reminded him.

"Minerva, Remus, we may have encountered a gigantic problem where it concerns Miss Granger."

"Gigantic as in giants?" Remus asked horrified.

"No." Lucius sighed. "No. Gigantic as in large, huge, big. I am not sure whether or not either of you have heard of the dark ritual of enslaving or the claiming of a witch?" Minerva looked stricken. Remus looked bewildered. He had not heard of the practice. "It is not so different to the ancient werewolf practice of imprinting." Lucius elaborated. "Both practices were outlawed several generations ago yet the act of claiming a witch as their own is still alluring to some of the Darkest of wizards."

"Who has claimed Miss Granger?" Minerva asked just above a whisper.

"No one," Severus answered. Minerva sighed in relief. Severus continued. "Yet."

"Who wants to?" Remus asked.

"Rodolphous, Dolohov, Fenrir, Rabastan perhaps, pick one." Lucius barked.

"What do you suggest we do?" Minerva whispered.

"Either Lucius or myself must perform the ritual before anyone else."

"I refuse to decide Miss Granger's fate yet I do not want her left to anyone of the ones that you named mercy. She will receive none." Minerva replied.

"Which one of do you believe Hermione would be most comfortable with?" Remus asked.

"Severus, obviously, he was her Professor for several years." Minerva replied.

"Which is why it should not be me but Lucius." Severus interjected.

"You do realize what the requirements are to the ritual? Do you not?" Minerva asked Lucius.

"Yes, I am acutely aware of what shall be required of me." Lucius snarled.

"Will you be capable of doing what will be required?" Minerva pressed.

"Yes." He grimaced.

"You will do this even after what happened to Moinette?" Minerva pressed further. Lucius looked stricken. "Albus had many memories of Moinette in his pensive." She answered the unspoken question of how she knew of what had happened to her.

"Because of Moinette, I will be able to do what is required!" Lucius barked.

"Very well. Lucius be gentle with our Hermione." Minerva whispered. "I pray that the ritual as not already occurred by another wizard."

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**A/N**: Please review. I apologize for the long wait. Life and death unforunately occurs when ones least expects or wants it. I realize that parts of this chapter may not make sense at first reading or perhaps after the second but I promise it will later. Some areas of the chapter were awkward and rather long especially Minerva's part. If anyone has any suggestions on how to fix it, my eyes and ears are open.


	6. Chapter 6

**Of Love and Desperation  
**_by Caged Sparkle Black_

_Summary: _"How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not fully understand what you are fighting against or for?" In a short matter of time, the line between light and dark fades for Hermione. The past becomes the future. The future becomes the past. The present is entirely muddled.

_**IMPORTANT:**_ Please note that this is a work of fiction and that the author Caged Sparkle Black does not condone what is written within this chapter. The original warning was written in chapter one!

_**

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**__**Chapter Six**  
Forceful Penetrations_

_December 16, 1997  
__Moinette Hall  
__Dungeons  
__2 A.M._

Hermione was awoken from a deep exhausted slumber by the creaking of the opening ancient doors. She shielded her eyes with her forearm anticipating that the visitor would want to lighten his path toward her. The doors creaked closed. No light came. Timidly, she stood up bracing herself for almost anything. She could feel the visitor, a man she assumed, come closer. The air was thick with tension. Hermione was losing her Gryffindor courage. The silence was formidable. She swallowed deeply as she felt a smooth glove clad hand touch her cheek. The touch was gentle and almost calming. It was dark. No light whatsoever. Hermione could not identify who this man was.

Abruptly, he forcefully pushed her to the ground. Hermione groaned in pain. He lunged at her. Hermione screamed no. He grabbed her shoulders to prevent her from retreating. He jammed a knee between her ironclad legs. He ripped her thin, ragged, and filthy muggle blouse and exposed a blackened yellowing white bra and numerous cuts, scraps, and bruises. Hermione went ballistic; she started punching and clawing him. He momentarily stilled. He performed a non-verbal spell to faintly light the candles on either side of the ancient stone doors.

She continued to punch and claw at him. The light heightened her panic. Incidentally, Hermione clawed the hood of his long black Death Eater robe and a long ungroomednail snagged it. She frantically attempted to pull the nail from the silk like fabric. He grabbed her wrist to prevent the hood from falling yet his identity was revealed anyhow; a strand of distinctive long pale blond hair escaped. Hermione's eyes rounded in absolute terror. Hermione began to to weep in desperation. He berated himself for lighting the candles in the attempt to calm her down.

"No." She protested as she attempted to push him away with her imprisoned hands. He did not budge. He tightened his grip on her wrists."I hate you!" She wept. "I thought you were different." He froze. "I thought you understood." He looked at her without pretense while she cried. "How can you do this to me yet damn the man that rapped and tortured your first wife?"

He closed his eyes and winced. He opened his eyes and Hermione almost regretted what she had said about Moinette. His cunning grey eyes showed overwhelming grief and weakness yet he still emanated a powerful air about him. Hermione froze as he gingerly brought her to him enveloping her into a hug.

"I do understand." Lucius whispered in her ear as he caressed her tangled hair. "I understand more about you than you realize. I understand that if I don't claim you now someone else will." He pulled away to look in her bloodshot chocolate orbs. "You don't understand the Dark Arts and I sincerely hope you never come to." Yet he knew better. She would and he would be guilty of that. "You are innocent.." He gently shook her shoulders as if to shake some since into her overtly intelligent mind. "An outspoken mudblood prisoner that needs to be silenced into submission some believe. I am astonished that you've lasted this long without being claimed. Innocence never endures on this side."

"I have been claimed." She whispered not meeting his eyes.

"By whom?" He sneered. "If you had been claimed," He snarled. "You insolent girl, I would no longer be entrusted in your torture. The one that claimed you would have that right."

"Draco has claimed me." Her voice cracked as she whispered the response.

"I see." He sneered. "You are so naive it is almost sickening." Irritably, he slid his traveling cloak and shirt off. "Draco would never claim you; he knows not of the ritual nor would he perform the ritual if he did know of it." He snapped. "He has not yet grown a fondness for the darkest of dark arts."

"Draco claimed me." She repeated once more.

"No, dear girl, he has not. He is under strict orders, my orders, not to touch you."

"Why? What if I told you that we are madly love each other." She baited. He winced as if it would matter a great deal.

"He knows not to claim something as his which is not his." He stated as he roughly grabbed her neck. Her eyes narrowed in anger. She pushed him but he did not budge. She pushed again and growled in frustration. He smirked.

"Yet he has claimed a deathly path as his which is not his, simply because he does not want to disappoint his father. It's sickening how much the two of you are alike yet so obviously different." She sneered. His smirk quickly slid from his lips. A look of regret and longing passed through his grey eyes.

"Miss Granger, whether it be by force or consensual, we are having sex tonight." He slowly whispered. "It is the only way to protect you from the others. They've been talking especially Fenrir. You're a beautiful and intelligent woman, mudblood or not. They believe you to be Potter's slut. They want to be the ones that claims Potter's mudblood." She blanched. Lucius sighed. "Look, higher powers than I have decided that it will be me that claims you."

"What? Why you? Why not Draco?"

"Do you truly love him or are you using him?" Lucius winced as he whispered the question.

"I don't think that is any of your business, Mr. Malfoy." Hermione stated primly as if she was not pinned beneath him.

"Believe me, if there were ever a person for it to be someone's business, it is I." He snarled.

"Draco and I have an understanding of sorts." Hermione slowly confessed.

"You've gotten to him." Lucius ironically smirked.

"As you said I am a intelligent woman." She returned his smirk yet hers did not seem as natural.

He caught her off guard with a slow and sensuous kiss. She did not reciprocate at first but she shyly began to. He titled her head and slid his tongue in her mouth. She whimpered in spite of herself. He placed little kisses up her jaw to her ear. Hermione was breathless and dizzy.

"To answer your question, your menage does not trust him yet." He whispered in her ear.

"My menage?" Hermione whispered as she shook her head and then she realized what or rather whom he was talking about. He kissed her shocked opened mouth. She turned her head away.

"Miss Granger, Hermione, I will give you the choice." He sighed. She curiously looked at him. He muttered in her ear. "Will it be me or your favorite professor spy?"

Hermione's eyes momentarily widened. "How long have you known?"

"Please," He snorted. "I've _always _known, Miss Granger." He whispered as he touched the inside of her ear with his tongue. She slowly and stiffly turned toward him. She was terrified and that disgusted him. This whole quandary disgusted him. "I hate you." She whispered as her lips touched his in an oddly sweet and innocent kiss. "I hate you." She repeated against his lips. Her broken brown eyes looked into his regretfully grey ones.

He closed his eyes in pain and harshly deepened the kiss. Her lips burned and began to bruise. She jerked away in pain as he bit her lip. She licked the tiny dribbles of blood from her bottom lip. He gently swiped his thumb over that lip. "You will come to love and trust me." He whispered as he gingerly drew that bottom lip into his mouth. She whimpered. His left hand fondled her as he attentively sucked her bottom lip and then her tongue. She moaned quietly. She timidly wrapped her arms around his neck. He waved his wand hand and their clothes found their way to other side of the room. Hermione shrieked in surprise.

"Hush." He placed a long finger to her lips. He tucked a tangled curl behind her ear.

"I'll never trust you." She stated as he penetrated her innocence. She groaned and screamed in discomfort and twinges of pain. "I'll never love you." She added.

"I wouldn't wager on that, darling. You already do." He drawled as he continued.

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**A/N**: Please review. I apologize, once more, for any offense taken and/or if the chapter made you feel uncomfortable. I thank all that read the last chapter and this one, but special thanks go out to _Mrs. Azriel_ _RxDJxB Lestrange_ for the only one reviewing last chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Of Love and Desperation  
**__by Caged Sparkle Black_

_Summary_: "How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not fully understand what you are fighting against or for?" In a short matter of time, the line between light and dark fades for Hermione. The past becomes the future. The future becomes the past. The present is entirely muddled.

_

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_

**Chapter Seven**:  
_Bellatrix; The Loophole In The Perfect Plan_

_December 17, 1997  
__Moinette Hall  
__Dungeons  
__7:56 A.M._

Hermione shrieked as she awoke convulsing violently. The back of her head cracking against the stone floor as the convulsing became more erratic and speed up. Her torso arching upward rather awkwardly before arching inwardly. She couldn't breathe. Her throat was constricting. She shrieked and choked. The more she shrieked the less she could breathe.

Each convulsion started harder than the last and lasted longer. Her vision became distorted. She could see yet she could not see definite shapes. Colors merged into one another then back to the original color. Unfortunately, none of what was occurring blocked her hearing. Wayward tears escaped from her closed tortured brown eyes. She shrieked. She heard the unique ear-piercing maniacal giggle of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Mudblood." Bellatrix screamed as her voice cracked with raw fury. "I will kill you!" She shrilled fanatically. "I hate you!" She screamed. She waved her wand hand and Hermione jerked upward off of the ground into mid air. Hermione yelped. She hated heights.

She started to sob uncontrollably, Bellatrix scraggily laughed. She slowly raised Hermione several more feet in the air. Abruptly, Bellatrix threw her hand down. Hermione plunged downward. Hermione shrieked in utter horror.

Bellatrix stopped Hermione two feet from the floor before raising her several more feet. Hermione stopped breathing. Her heartbeat paused. Her limps went slack. Bellatrix twirled a lifeless Hermione around and around and back and forth. Both of the ancient stone doors of the dungeon flew open with a slam. Bellatrix jumped losing the connection to the curse. Hermione began to plunge downward.

"NO!" Lucius bellowed. He pointed his wand and muttered an incantation to stop her from falling. While his father attempted to use magic to save her, he used his seeker skills. Draco caught her before she could plummet to her death.

Even though Draco had caught her, they both had ended up falling to the unforgiving stone floor because of the force and speed of Hermione's fall. Draco groaned as his back then head landed on the stone floor with a loud thud. Hermione whimpered as she landed on top of Draco. He groaned once more.

"Crucio!" Lucius snarled before Bellatrix realized that he had planned to attack her. Bellatrix collapsed to the floor and shrieked.

"Father! Stop!" Draco barked from the stone floor while holding Hermione. Hermione stirred yet did not raise her head. "Think! You're attacking Aunt Bella!" Lucius reluctantly muttered the counter curse. Bellatrix shakily stood. Her breathing labored.

"The." Bellatrix swallowed once before continuing her threat. "The Dark Lord will hear of this!"

"I am quite positive that he will." Lucius barked. Bellatrix walked rather slower than normal out of the room. Lucius angerily slammed the ancient stone doors with the wave his hand. "This wasn't supposed to happen." Lucius stated as he kneeled toward Draco and Hermione. "Are you two okay?"

"The question should be, is Hermione, okay?" Draco drawled as he attempted to sit up and failed. Lucius grabbed his left forearm and grimaced. He was being called by the Dark Lord. Bellatrix had wasted no time whatsoever.

"I have to go." Lucius spoke what Draco already knew. When the Dark Lord called. You answered. No hesitation.

Draco took a deep breath and brought Hermione to sit up with him. Her bottom rested on his right thigh as his arms supported her around her waist. Hermione opened her eyes at the movement and screamed.

"Don't touch me! You bastard!" Hermione started struggling to get away. Draco tightened his grip around her waist and trapped her legs between his own.

"Hermione! Hermione! Calm down! It's okay! It's me, Draco! You know, ferret face!" Draco pleaded. "I'm not going to hurt you, anymore!"

"Ferret face?" Hermione whispered on the verge of consciousness and unconsciousness. Draco smiled and shook his head yes. "I thought you were your father! " His smile vanished. "Don't let him hurt me anymore." She whimpered.

"What did my father do?" Draco growled as Hermione lost total consciousness.

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**A/N**:Please review! Since the length of this chapter left much to be desired, the next chapter should be up shortly! Thank you for reading and reviewing. I thank all that read and reviewed thusfar!


	8. Chapter 8

**Of Love and Desperation  
**_by Caged Sparkle Black_

_Summary_: "How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not fully understand what you are fighting against or for?" In a short matter of time, the line between light and dark fades for Hermione. The past becomes the future. The future becomes the past. The present is entirely muddled.

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_**Chapter Eight  
**__Altercations and Castigations_

_December 17, 1997  
__Malfoy Manor  
__The Drawing Room  
__8:03 A.M._

Pop! Bellatrix jumped at the sound of Lucius apparating into the parlor room of his home. Lucius did not conceal the sneer he threw towards Bellatrix. The sneer disappeared into indifference as his cold grey eyes landed on the man, the thing, that had summoned him.

"I understand that you attacked a fellow Death Eater without just cause." Voldemort paused then added. "That is unacceptable."

"What is unacceptable, my lord, is a lower ranked Death Eater disobeying a direct order from a higher rank'." Lucius interjected in a bored tone, yet he was seething within. "I specifically ordered Bella and the others not to harm the mudblood without my permission."

"And why was that?" Voldemort inquired as he attempted to delve into Lucius's mind. Lucius maneuvered him to the parts of the memory of when he had performed the dark ritual upon Hermione then to yesterday morning when he had informed the others of the ritual that had occurred.

"Interesting!" Voldemort hissed. "You told the other's of the ritual yet Bella disobeyed." Lucius nodded. Voldemort steadied his gaze on a shaken Bellatrix. "Bella, because I think so highly of you, I will let you explain yourself before I decide your punishment."

"Thank you, my lord." Bellatrix bowed while ignoring twitching aftershocks of pain from Lucius's Cruciatus Curse. "Lucius told the Inner Circle that he had claimed the mudblood to him and that we were forbidden to touch her. What Lucius failed to realize is that I am not forbidden to touch her. I am obviously _female_. _Males_ are forbidden to harm another's slave!" Bellatrix sneered.

"Where that is true, Bella, Lucius specifically told everyone not to harm her. He is my right hand. When you disobey my right, you disobey me." Voldemort drawled. Bella's black eyes widened just enough for anyone not to notice. Unfortunately for her, Voldemort was not just anyone. He noticed.

"My lord, I apologize for disobeying you." Bella began to defend herself. "I do _not _apologize for attacking the mudblood! The mudblood was captured to be tortured and have her reveal Potter's whereabouts! She has not spilled one secret! If she has then it has not been passed to the others!" Bella implied mutinously behavior from the Malfoys. "Lucius is protecting her! I know she has not been tortured as I would if I had continued to have control of her."

"She would no longer be alive if you had continued." Lucius barked.

"One less mudblood to kill later!" Bellatrix shrieked.

"Enough!" Voldemort ordered yet did not raise his voice. His tone was murderous. "Bella, you will not harm Potter's mudblood! Spread the word that if anyone else that should desire to disobey Lucius' command shall be severely punished by my hand."

"Yes, my lord." Bellatrix reluctantly agreed.

"Thank you, my lord." Lucius said.

"Don't be thanking me yet, my friend." Voldemort smirked. "I want to speak to Potter's mudblood. I have heard of her intelligence and loyalty to Potter. As I cannot enter the wards of Moinette Hall, because of the protection your first wife and Dumbledore placed upon it..." Voldemort paused at an interruption.

"Dumbledore, my lord?" Lucius interrupted truly and entirely shocked.

"Yes, Dumbledore." He spat the name." I did not notice it all those years ago. I could not yet see his magic then, yet I have for some years because Dumbledore has a very specific strain. It was misfortunate that I had not yet learned to recognize that strain upon your marriage to the mudblood." Voldemort snarled then added astonished. "You are surprised." Voldemort paused. "I must apologize then." Bellatrix gasped in shock. Her master apologized never apologize, yet he apologized to the blood traitor. "I had thought that you must have known that Dumbledore had warded your home, yet then again you had not known your wife had been a spy for the Order, either. Moinette Dagworth was extremely clever, intelligent, and cunning. It was a pity that she was a mudblood along with working for Dumbledore. I had such high hopes for her." Voldemort paused before his thin lips curled into a sadistic smirk. His eyes darkened. "I want Potter's mudblood removed from Moinette Hall and put in one of the many rooms of this manor. I want to see if Hermione Granger is from the same stalk as the mudblood who pulled a fast one on me all those years ago."

"Yes, my lord." Lucius acquiesced calmly and dutifully, yet he was panicking underneath the guise.

"Have a room readied for her within this manor then retrieve her." Voldemort ordered. "You are dismissed."

"Thank you, my lord." Lucius spoke as he bowed and left the drawing room.

"Bella." Voldemort almost whispered.

"Yes, my lord?" Bella asked stone still.

"I am not all too familiar with the consequence of the dark ritual that Lucius performed. Are you?" He asked her. Her eyes betrayed her surprise that he was not familiar with it.

"Yes, my lord, Rodolphous had planned on performing it. I was outraged that my husband would want to tie something as filthy as her to him. To me. That is the true reason I attacked her." Bellatrix ranted.

"Bella, who is capable of harming Potter's mudblood now that Lucius has enslaved her to him?" Voldemort hissed. He had no desire to hear her rant and rave.

"Any woman that is not specifically told by him to not harm her." Bellatrix retorted. Hadn't they already determined that earlier in the confrontation with Lucius?

"Could I harm her?" He asked.

"I am not sure, my lord. You are a powerful–" Bellatrix began yet stopped when Voldemort began speaking.

"Do not fear me, at this moment, my servant. Do not speak lies. Tell me the truth." He adjured her.

"No, my lord. Whatever curse you were to inflict upon her would rebound and hit you." Bella spoke in hushed tones then winced.

"Is there any curse that could be inflicted upon her to reverse the ritual?"

"I am not certain." Bellatrix hesitated minuscually. "There could be ancient ones that could help but I do not know of them." Bellatrix paused as if in thought. "I could research them for you."

"You do that. You are dismissed." Voldemort ordered. Bellatrix bowed to him and backed out of the room. "Bella?" He spoke. She paused.

"Yes, my lord?" She asked.

"Several rituals require blood from both parties, does this ritual require that?"

"Yes, my lord." Bellatrix answered not understanding why he would ask something that she assumed he already knew. "All ancient rituals whether light or dark require blood."

"The young Malfoy, could he harm the mudblood without his curses rebounding unto him?" Voldemort asked intrigued.

Bellatrix smirked as the realization hit her. "Yes, my lord. Draco shares the same blood as Lucius. He is the true exception to the rule. The mudblood is as much enslaved to Lucius as she is Draco."

"Interesting." Voldemort smirked. He would keep that piece of information in mind. Lucius would not pass that test of loyalty. Voldemort was certain of that. Yet he was uncertain of the younger Malfoy. Would he kill the mudblood? Voldemort was doubtful.

After all, the young Malfoy had _not _killed Dumbledore as he was ordered to do so. Snape had. Yes, Voldemort knew because the younger Malfoy was not as strong as Occlumency as his godfather. Nevertheless, Snape had shown his loyalty to him. There would be no more tests of loyalty for the esteemed Potions Master.

After all, would Snape be loyal to Dumbledore yet murder him. Voldemort did not think so. That would be the equivalent of Bellatrix killing him which was preposterous. Voldemort crackled in amusement.

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_**Author's Note**_: Thank you.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Of Love and Desperation  
**__by Caged Sparkle Black_

_Summary_: "How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not fully understand what you are fighting against or for?" In a short matter of time, the line between light and dark fades for Hermione. The past becomes the future. The future becomes the past. The present is entirely muddled.

_**

* * *

**_

_**Chapter Nine  
**__Divided They Shall Die_

_December 17, 1997  
__Spinner's End  
_7:46 P.M.

Draco apparated silently unto the doorstep of his godfather's home. He raised his right closed fist to knock on the door. The door flew open. Draco found himself jerked inside by the wrist. The door closed as quickly as it had opened.

"What _are _you doing here?" Severus Snape asked bitingly. Draco narrowed his tortured grey eyes in anger. Severus knew full well why he was here. Severus was the one that sent his patronus to him. Really, a doe? Draco thought it would be a bat or snake anything but a peaceful feminine doe. His was a dragon.

Severus placed his left index finger to his lips as if to silence the retort that Draco had begun to retort. Severus waved his right hand slightly to the right and behind him. Draco heard a squeak of surprise and pain then saw a rat attempt to scurry away. Snape waved his hand again and the rat froze as if petrified. Snape walked over to where the rat laid froze and picked it up by the rat tail.

"I've no idea when he'll learn to stop spying on me. It's rather annoying _especially _since there are _no secrets _between The Dark Lord and I. Unless Peter has wormed his way back into the Order, yet I highly doubt that." Severus spoke as he dropped the rat into an aging trash bin with a folding lid. He preformed a nonverbal silencing and locking spell on the bin. "This way." Severus instructed.

Severus walked and Draco followed down a long hall way with several doors. The floor was dirty and some doors looked as if they had not been opened let alone washed in several years. Snape came to the last door on the left and opened it. "Watch your step." Snape ordered sharply.

Draco looked down and saw that the door hid a stairwell. Draco stepped down and continued to do so. Snape closed the door then followed. It was rather dark, yet Draco could tell that the stairwell was filthy if the handrail had any indication on the rest of the area. He had sneered at the dark dirt and dust on his pale white hand. Draco stepped cautiously down the straight stone stairwell silently refusing to once again touch the filthy handrail. A faint light flickered at the bottom of the long stairwell. Severus stealthily followed two stairs behind his godson.

Fumes both tickled and burned the inside of Draco's nostrils as he neared the bottom of the stairs. Draco placed a firm step onto the stone floor of this dungeon like room. Draco quickly scanned his grey eyes around his immaculate clean surroundings. Draco quickly realized that he was in his godfather's private laboratory. The laboratory, in which, brewed several life saving and life taking potions.

Severus stepped around Draco whom had stood immobilized at the bottom of the stairs. Draco felt honored that his godfather had granted him entrance. He had heard that both The Dark Lord and Dumbledore had been refused entrance.

"Stop salivating at the mouth." Severus snarled. "The only reason in which you are here is because the Dark Lord can not penetrate the wards nor can he access any memory that occurs in this laboratory." He continued. "Sit down," He motioned to an iron chair not far from where Draco stood. Draco stepped forward and sat down. Severus sat on a matching one nearer the brewing potions than where Draco sat nearer the stone stairwell. "We have much to discuss."

"Yes, we do." Draco quipped.

"All of the Dark Lord's horcruxes have been destroyed except for three." Severus cautiously stated.

"How many does the lunatic have?" Draco remarked.

"He had planned to make seven." Severus replied.

"He planned _seven_?" Draco repeated disgusted then asked exasperated. "How many did he actually do?"

"Eight." Severus stated flinching.

"Eight? How? Why?" Draco stated in a mixture of awe and disgust.

"A minuscule part of his soul resides in his body. The others reside in an old diary, a Peverell family ring, a goblet of Helga Hufflepuff, a locket of Salazar's, the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw, his snake Nagini, and," Snape paused before finally saying the name of the boy who lived. "Harry Potter."

"Potter's a horcrux? What? Why?" Draco asked outraged that the lunatic would even dare contemplate using a human for a horcrux no matter who the human was.

"I am not entirely certain, but I do know that all but Nagini, The Dark Lord, and Harry Potter have been destroyed."

"How did Ravenclaw's lost diadem get destroyed let alone become one?" Draco asked a valid question before stating the obvious. "It's lost which means that it can't be found!"

"Draco, I am aware of what the term lost dictates." Severus stated drily.

"Where was it? It had to be found in order for The Dark Lord to make it one of his horcruxes. He must have hid it afterwards, but where was it found?"

"Do you remember the Ravenclaw ghost?" Severus inquired.

"What does a ghost have anything to do with this?" He asked rudely.

"The Ravenclaw ghost is the Grey Lady." Severus replied ignoring the outburst. "The Grey Lady is the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw! The Grey Lady stole her mother's diadem. She hid it in Albania. She told this to a young Tom Riddle. You do know whom Tom Riddle is, correct?"

"Yes, 'Mione has caught me up to speed on facts that I did not know where it concerns Mr. Riddle and others." Draco stated rather pointedly.

"It sounds as if you and Ms. Granger have grown close." Severus stated rather cautiously.

"Yes, we have. Amongst this war, our prejudices, and misconceptions we have grown rather close. I would die for her as she would die for me."

"Do not speak those words unless you intend to do so if the need ever should arise." Severus snarled.

"You misunderstand me, Severus. If the need should arise I do intend to follow through!" Draco replied.

"Insolence! Stupidity! Draco, you can not intend to do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because it will all be for naught!"

"Why?"

"If the Dark Lord should want her dead then she would be killed regardless of whom shall die for her!"

"You're saying to let the bastard kill her?" Draco asked outraged.

"I am not saying that. What I am saying is for you to stay alive to prevent her from being killed! You are not doing yourself, our cause, or Hermione any favors whatsoever if you get yourself killed because you've found your inner fucking Gryffindor!" Severus intervened.

"Pardon me?" Draco asked appalled. "My inner Gryffindork? Are you bamming me? You of all people should know that I am Slytherin to my core!"'

"No, Draco, you are not! There is a thin yet thick line that differeinates Slytherins from Gryffindors. You've crossed that line."

"What the fuck?" Draco asked exhasperated. "What line? How in the bloody hell have I crossed it?"

"It took me along time to understand the difference and that line. I do not believe that you shall understand it either."

"If you would be so inclined to tell me the difference then I may fucking understand it. You're talking out of your fucking arse. Me a Gryffindork? That would be like Hermione and Pothead being resorted into Slytherin!" Draco sprouted off more obsenities.

Severus inwardly smirked at the irony of Draco's statement. If Draco only knew. Unfortunately, Severus did know. Severus audibly sighed.

"Draco, calm down. You crossed that thick fine line when you fell in love with a Gryffindor Mudblood!"

"I am the only one allowed to call her that filthy name!" Draco spat. Severus inwardly cringed at the drama that would be eventually ensnarled within the Malfoy Family, The Order of The Phoenix, and the Inner Circle.

"Draco, you do not deny the fact." Severus stated. Draco raised a pale blonde eyebrow.

"Why deny it when we both know it is true?" Draco inquired. "Why deny anything that is true when denying belittles the very thing that you are denying?"

"You can not wear your heart on your sleeve especially where it concerns Ms. Granger! The Dark Lord will pick up on it and torture you both! Lucius will pick up on it. I know that Lucius will be more furious about it than the Dark Lord shall."

"Why should my father be furious with me? He no longer believes in blood supremacy!"

"Draco, Lucius is much as a bigot where it concerns his pureblood as ever! Do not let him fool you. Lucius chooses to ignore certain people's inferior blood than his for his purposes alone! He has _always_hated the fact that Ms. Granger is a mud-muggleborn!"

"Just because he may still have his prejudices does not mean that I do!" Draco stated violently. His voice shook with anger.

"I am glad to hear that, but the fact still remains that your father is prejudiced to his core, no one can change that fact not even himself. He tried and failed."

"That is right." Draco stated as he remembered something that he had forgotten. "His first wife was a mudblood. He should have no right saying anything about Hermione and me."

"Draco," Severus sighed. "I am not certain how to tell you this where it does not hurt you or change your perspective where it concerns Lucius and Hermione."

"Get on with it." Draco stated disinterested.

"Lucius has bounded himself to Hermione."

"Bounded? What the fuck? He can't marry her. He's married to my mother. Malfoy protocol states that a wizard can have one wife at at time. Not two." Draco stated disbelieving.

"Yet they can have as many mistresses as they want. I know. I've heard your father speak about that particular clause in Malfoy Protocol before." Severus stated as he remembered the conversation shortly after Moinette's disappearance and Lucilla's murder.

"Hermione will not become his mistress. She would not willingly go into that type of arrangement especially with my father."

"Draco, you are so innocent where it comes to the ancient dark arts." Severus paused unsure whether or not to enlighten the younger Malfoy. "There are ancient barbaric dark rituals that would insure that Miss Granger would indeed enter that arrangement and most of those rituals do not need her to go willingly. Most prefer rape."

"No." Draco stated firmly yet his wand arm was shaking angrily.

"Lucius has already preformed the ritual, Draco." Severus stated reluctantly.

"No." Draco stated.

"Yes, Draco." Severus corrected.

"No. He would not."

"He has. He preformed the ritual last night."

"No." Draco repeated no longer firm. His voice cracked in horror as he remembered how Hermione had reacted this morning. The horror in her eyes when she had looked at him at first thinking that he was his father. Draco, now realized that Hermione had been more terrified of his father than she had of Bellatrix.

_"I thought you were your father."_

_"Don't let him hurt me anymore."_

"He wouldn't sully himself." Draco denied weakly. "He wouldn't do it. Not to a mudblood." He whispered. "Not to Hermione. He tortured and lectured me for hours when he was told that I had a tiny crush on Hermione in fourth year." Draco stated in disbelief that his father would react to a school boy crush as he had then rape the object of his son's schoolboy crush. Draco paled sickly. His stomach clenched. Bile rose to his throat.

"Draco, you yourself stated that his first wife was a mudblood. Moinette Dagworth was a muggleborn witch sorted into Slytherin posing as a pureblooded. Your father married her knowing that she was a muggleborn. Your father consummated that marriage. He had a half-blood daughter--"

"What!" Draco bellowed. Severus blatantly realized that although Lucius had enlightened his son about his first marriage, he had not informed his son of his older sister. Severus cringed. Draco repeated. "What do you mean he had a halfblood daughter?"

"You must ask your father. I had not realized that you did not know."

"Did not. Did not. Did not know?" Draco stuttered uncharacteristically. "What the bloody fuck? No I did not realize that I had a sister. Tell me what you know."

"Draco, I can not." Severus stated firmly.

"Why not?" Draco asked petulantly.

"Because, I do not want to wish you any more harm than what I have already caused." Severus stated sincerely.

"Severus, you can not harm me any more than my father as already.

"Draco, I am not to speak of it any further. I told you more than what I was supposed to already. However, I will tell you this. In the library at Moinette Hall holds the answer to some of your questions yet it shall cause more questions than answers." Severus stated cryptically.

"Moinette Hall? The library? I am forbidden entrance." Draco stated.

"From your father but not the library itself." Severus revealed. "You have not yet tried, but you shall. Every millimeter of Moinette Hall even the inner rooms have protective wards on them. The only ones that can break through those wards without harm are the Malfoy family, Moinette Dagworth, and whomever those that are granted magical permission from Moinette Dagworth or a member of the Malfoy family."

"My mother can not enter the wards, she is a Malfoy."

"By marriage and your mother yes, but the wards do not recognize her as Narcissa Malfoy. They recognize her as Narcissa Black."

"What do I have to do to break through the wards."

"Nothing, you are a Malfoy. Just open the door and walk in." Severus revealed yet before he finished the last sentence Draco was already rushing up the stone stair case.

Draco apparated with a pop onto the white immaculate marbled floor of the entrance hall. He had just left Spinner's End. He strode toward the double doors of the forbidden library. His father had told him upon their arrival at this French country manor home that he could roam the halls freely, yet not to go into the library. It was forbidden territory. Neither had Draco asked nor had Lucius offered the reason why that it was forbidden for him to enter. After all would not this manor become his upon his nuptials.

Draco stared at the unmoving painting above the fireplace in a mixture of hurt, awe, and bittersweet amusement. The painting was a muggle one. The painting consisted of his father, a beautiful dark blonde woman whom looked eerily familiar, and a young baby. The plaque underneath the painting stated; Winter 1972, The Malfoy Family, Lucius, Moinette, and Lucilla Harriet.

His father had commissioned a muggle painting. That would have highly amused Draco if he had not felt betrayed. Although, he had known from early childhood that his mother was not his father's first wife, he had not known that he had a sister. Where was she? Was his father so ashamed of her muddy blood that he had hid her from everyone? From her little brother?

It was not her fault that her blood was dirty. It was their father's and her mother's fault. No, in actuality it was their father's fault. He was the one that chose to taint his bloodline with the muddy blood of his first wife. Draco would not have cared about her blood not being as pure as his because they both shared the same paternal blood line. She was his sister.

Draco quickly did the math. According to the painting and plaque, Lucilla was born some time in 1972. She would be twenty-four or twenty-five depending on what her birthday was.

His grey eyes threatened to fill up with tears of regret and sorrow. How could his father do this? Family meant everything to the Malfoys! To him! Where was she when he was a child? He had no memory of her whatsoever. She would have been five or six when he was born. Where was she now?

Draco clenched and unclenched his jaw and bit his tongue. Tears of regret, hurt, and betrayal overfilled his grey eyes unto the pale skin of his cheek bones down his jaw and around his nose. His jaw went slack. His tongue roamed his bottom lip. He was in shock. He was livid.

How could his father had done this? How could his father rape his best friend? That was what Hermione had become to him, his best friend. Perhaps, after the war, if the they both survived that is, it could possibly lead to more. She was his best friend and his father had raped her.

He was tortured by images of what his mind came up with of his father performing the ritual. He cringed. His father was a bastard. Draco had always known this yet he did not realize to what degree. He was horrified at what his father was capable of. If his father should he want to he could make the Dark Lord look like a prissy on his best day.

The cracked marble double doors slammed open with velocity.

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**A/N**: Please review. I love hearing your thoughts, suggestions, comments, and questions. I welcome them with open arms and will be working on replying to each review for the next day or so. Thank you to everyone that has put this on their favorite and/or alert list. Also thank you so much to the ones that have favorited me as an author. Thank you so much! I appreciate it very much!

Thank you to the following for reviewing last chapter and previous ones, _Vanya Khaleesi_, _Ohyeah100_, _LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDIrL_, _Irritable-Grizzly69_, _rebelbball_, _TonyAnnaAndre_, _EvIlIsHoT_, _SeraphimeRising_, _Swtcheeks_, _ginnyginny_, _elladora lestrange_, _kitkat250067_, _haji666_, _cytl101_, _Brilliana Rachelle_, _Mrs. Azriel RxDxB Lestrange_, _britnic77_, _SALIGIA-the seven deadly sins_, _embirsiphonelilathia_, _moregoth_, _Eternal-Rose-of-Destiny_, _Avalonhighgirl_, and _kleipoppetje_.


	10. Chapter 10

**Of Love and Desperation  
**_by Caged Sparkle Black_

_Summary_: "How can you begin to defend yourself when you do not fully understand what you are fighting against or for?" In a short matter of time, the line between light and dark fades for Hermione. The past becomes the future. The future becomes the past. The present is entirely muddled.

**_

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_Chapter Ten**  
_United They Shall Live_

Draco spun around on his left leg as he attentively pointed his wand toward the now wide open doors. His grey eyes narrowed as his body radiated anger. His eyes snapped upward to meet his father's livid ones. Draco inwardly grimaced and tightened the hold on his wand. Lucius snarled. "You failed to obey me on this one simple request. " Draco non-verbally performed the Expelliarmus spell and effectively unarmed his unsuspecting father. His father underestimated him.

"Do not begin to play the wronged party, because we both know that you are in the wrong here as you are in every aspect of your life." Draco seethed. "You were in the wrong forbidding me entrance within any Malfoy residence." Draco pursed his lips and crunched his nose in disgust.

"Draco." Lucius stated in warning.

"You were in the wrong by keeping them a secret!" Draco snarled as he pointed with his left hand to the muggle painting of his father, his father's first wife, and his father's first borne.

Lucius narrowed his eyes in anger as he waved his empty wand hand rather causally. The doors behind him slammed shot with much velocity. "Draco, you are acting no better than that common Potter. Do not let your emotions control you."

"I'd rather have my own emotions control me than that bastard you let control us all!" Draco stated vehemently.

"Draco." Lucius seethed. "You will monitor what you say to me. You will respect me. Do you hear me?" He stated as he walked closer to Draco.

"Respect is earned not given!" Draco spat. Lucius flinched as if someone had slapped him. Draco was almost remorseful of what he had said as he noticed the sorrowful look upon his face. However, Draco quickly remembered what all his father had done throughout his life yet more recently the actions he had done toward Granger. Lucius quickly composed himself.

"Draco," Lucius snarled. "You sound more like a Gryffindor with each day that passes."

"No father I am not. Standing for what you believe in, is not necessarily a Gryffindor trait. When you do it for yourself and only yourself it is a Slytherin trait. You of all people know this."

"That may be true, yet I know that you are not only doing this for yourself, but for a certain cause or should I say a certain witch!" Lucius accused.

"I know not what you speak of." Draco denied.

"Draco, do not lie to me, I know what you are doing better than you could ever realize!" Lucius growled.

"Pardon?" Draco asked.

"You understand me perfectly, do not pretend that you do not!" Lucius yelled.

"No, pray tell, what are you speaking of, because you are as confusing to me as Potions is to Longbottom!"

"Moinette is--" Lucius began yet Draco interrupted him outraged at both the facts that his father had kept the secret and managed to distract Draco from that.

"Moinette is the mother of my HALF BLOOD SISTER!" Draco bellowed. "How can you think and act the way you do when you loved a MUDBLOOD and had a HALF BLOOD child that you obviously adored!"

"Neither do you know what I think nor do you know why I act the way I do!" Lucius barked.

"Yes, I do father." Draco barked in return. "I know exactly what you think and the reason why you think the way you do. We were both told by our fathers what to think and how to act because the Malfoy name constitutes so much more than the love of a father and son or what is best for said sons!"

Before Lucius could retaliate both doors slammed open again. "Have you both lost your sanity?" Severus Snape stood at the entrance to the library with wand raised. Severus noticed that Draco held both his and his father's wands. Severus waved his wand hand and both wands flew towards him and caught them. Lucius and Draco began to answer the hypothetical question when Severus stopped them by continuing. "Do not answer that. I believe I already know the reason why the two of you are arguing so loud that I could hear it through the wards. Listen to me, you _both_ need to calm down and play nice. The Dark Lord wants Ms. Granger moved to Malfoy Manor by nightfall Sunday, that gives us four days to prepare for her arrival and meeting with the Dark Lord. Draco, go to Remus" Draco narrowed his eyes in fear and anger. "Do remember that is days after the full moon. You will know where to find him." Severus elaborated before adding rather urgently. "Go with haste now!" Draco disapparated. Severus turned to look at and walk toward Lucius. "We must speak with Ms. Granger." Severus returned Lucius's wand to him as he paused and considered the wording of what he would speak next. "She must be enlightened where your loyalty truly lies, but not yet the reason. We need Hermione in order to end this war."

"Severus, we both already know that this war will not end the way we want it to." Lucius stated rather uncharacteristically melancholy. "Hermione Granger or Moinette Dagworth, regardless of which mudblood we have, we are doomed or have you forgotten that we have already been foretold the outcome."

"Foretold through the eyes of a traumatic memory of an eighteen year old witch. Did not that same witch, years after said memory, vow and make us both vow not to let that occur for the sake of both your son not yet born and her generation? Did it not occur that way or have I forgotten a key point?"

"Severus, you are correct in your recollection, but I must say that you are unfortunately incorrect about the outcome of this war. Everything, which was very little, that Moinette told me would occur, occurred. Nothing that I, you, or Moinette ever did, changed those facts!"

"Lucius," Severus sighed. "You must realize that what ever happened before she met us, was already in the stars to happen. She knew and forewarned this. We can still alter the outcome of this war because her exiting the presumed final battle did not end the war, it just ended it for her. We can not truly know that the battle she spoke of was in fact the final one." Severus paused and looked at Lucius.

From an outsiders point of view, one would not find fault in the aristocratic pureblood yet to Severus he realized that Lucius was almost at his breaking point. Severus hoped and prayed to Merlin that Lucius would not crumble at an inopportune time. At this point his, Lucius Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Remus Lupin, and both Moinette Dagworth and Lucilla Harriet Malfoy's life depended on the unforeseeable facade of the Malfoy patriarch.

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**A/N:** This was a bit shorter than what I would have preferred, but what needed to be said and done at this point in time was accomplished. Feedback would be greatly appreciated and cherished. I apologize for the long wait. Speaking of which, I have a new poll on my profile concerning some of my uncompleted fan fiction stories about which one my lovely readers and reviewers would like to see completed first. Please check it out and vote on which story you prefer.

**Nathalie93**, **padfootsgrl79**, **Avalonhighgirl**, **lilo**, **moregoth**, **cytl101**, and **VTM Potter Crazy**, thank you for reading reviewing the last chapter. To all that read last chapter or reada and/or reviewed previous chapters, thank you as well.

Also, I normally do not do this in author notes or my stories, but because I love the following story so much and the in which it is written, I have to recommend it, if you love my Lucius/Hermione story, you will absolutely fall head over heels in love with VTM Potter Crazy's story _Objection Overruled_. If you haven't read it yet (where have you been by the way) then go ahead and check it out, you will not be sorry.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer**_: Caged Sparkle Black (CSB) is not, has not, and will never receive monetary payment for this or any other fan fiction that she brainstorms, or writes, or co-writes, or edits. Copyright infringement was never and will never be the intention of the fan fiction author Cased Sparkle Black (CSB).

_**Sparkle Note**_: This story was last updated eighteen months ago due to a USB containing both the story outline and research notes being misplaced. However, it is now known that it was accidentally packed into a box which went to a storage unit. Fortunately, the USB was found recently, and if you would like this story to continue, please, leave a review stating so. Also, I would appreciate any insight on what you would like to see happen, explained, or elaborated. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

_The Starting Point_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardary_

Mutinous.

Disbelief.

Anguish.

Hate.

Grief.

Anger.

Hopelessness.

Sadness.

Regret.

Darkness.

Silence.

Dizziness.

Nausea.

Strange Voices.

Panic.

Vomiting.

Horrified.

Brightness.

Convulsion.

A gritty young brown-haired woman jerked violently off a familiar yet not so familiar hospital bed.

"Restringere," The rather ancient mediwitch yelled as she pointed her wand at the stranger yet the young woman convulsed harder. "Cessare!"

After realizing that magic was worsening the convulsions, the mediwitch pushed the smaller woman onto the bed.

The tiny aging mediwitch was no match for the agile young woman.

The woman continued to convulse violently. Her chocolate brown eyes rolling round and round.

"Grab her shoulders." The struggling mediwitch ordered the young pale man observing the scene with concerned curiosity, "Now, Mr. Malfoy."

On the verge of indignant, he chastised. "Madame Cancridae, that is not appropriate behavior for the Head,"

Madame Cancridae interrupted him. "Mr. Malfoy, I do not give a Hippogriff's arse what is appropriate or not for the Head Boy. This woman is injured severely as it is. I need her restrained before she kills herself and perhaps us. As you have seen magic will not work and I am not physically strong enough. You must restrain her!"

The young woman continued to convulse.

Sparks of red and gold began to illuminate out of her pores as she convulsed harder.

Madame Cancridae gasped in shock then screamed in panic, "Mr. Malfoy!"

The Head Boy lunged toward the strange woman in the attempt to stop the convulsions.

He pinned her shoulders down with frightful force, straining against both the convulsions, and sparks. The woman continued convulsing yet the colors changed from red and gold to crimson blood red and green with twinges of gold and silver glitter.

He placed a knee near her hip on the bed in order to give him more advantage. The convulsions slowed, but the sparks sped up.

The ancient mediwitch stood transfixed and terrified.

He leveled a cool disbelieving look at her before he ordered. "Madame Cancridae! Fetch Professor Slughorn! He will know what to do!"

Madame Cancridae ran urgently out of the Hospital Wing heeding the Head Boy's advice.

"Senile bitch." He muttered under his breath as he looked over his shoulder to the empty doorway." He began to talk to the convulsing stranger. "Look, Miss, this must end, because it is highly improper even though, you are quite pretty, which makes this even the more improper." He paused before he firmly declared. "You must awake this instant. You have my word that I am a Malfoy. I always get what I want.

"_Mudblood bitch!"_

"_I'm a Malfoy. I always get what I want!"_

"_I'm a Malfoy. I always win!"_

"_Granger, at the end of each and every day, I always knew you and scar head were right. You saved me. You have my word, I will save you."_

"DRACO!" The woman named Hermione Granger bloodcurdling screamed as she returned to consciousness, however once she recognized the pale white blond man whom had her pinned down, she lost that consciousness.


End file.
